tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11594365314001925952024-02-19T04:43:38.306-05:00Five A's and a D.Sharing the crafty, yummy, fun,
creative things that we do!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-15926784674575608522014-11-25T08:00:00.000-05:002014-11-25T08:00:01.650-05:00A Nation Under Judgement by Richard Capriola<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Genre: Nonfiction, Christian</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> What does it
mean to be "one nation under God"? Our Founding Fathers believed the
words were more than a political slogan. Have we strayed from their vision? A
Nation Under Judgment examines issues currently facing our country, such as
hunger, homelessness, poverty, marriage, the environment, income inequality and
the power of political campaign contributions in shaping policy. Each of these
issues is examined from a social policy and Scriptural point of view,
empowering readers to decide whether or not our nation is moving away from God
and headed for judgment.</span><!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My Review</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b> </b>As a Christian and mother to young children, I often worry about the direction in which our nation is headed. As a parent, I am teaching my children to "love thy neighbor" and "Do not judge, lest ye be judged," among other important lessons. There are many other positive teachings in the Bible that everyone should adhere to, not just Christians. So why not our nation? After all, we are "One nation under God," right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Capriola's book brings to light scriptures that apply to our nation and government today. He tells about examples in Biblical history in which nations strayed from God's word, and were punished as a result. Those examples are aligned with examples of modern issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and greed. He quotes many of our nation's leaders, who did in fact seek guidance from God in creating our country and its laws. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I would recommend taking your time in reading this particular book. There are a lot of quotes and references to digest. I stand firm in both my Christian and political beliefs, but I think that even non-Christians could gain something from this book. There are many historical quotes and examples which I had never heard before and found quite interesting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author Bio</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;"> Richard
Capriola has been a hospital chaplain and completed four years of Clinical
Pastoral Education in preparation for chaplaincy work. He has also led a
church-based outreach ministry. In additions to his pastoral care experience,
he has served as a mental health crisis counselor and has worked at both a
regional mental health center and psychiatric hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>You can visit his <a href="http://www.anationunderjudgment.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">website</span></a>, or purchase A Nation Under Judgement on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NF0ML36" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Amazon</span></a> or <a href="http://my.bookbaby.com/book/a-nation-under-judgment" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Bookbaby</span></a>.</b></span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-24945764838080269802014-11-12T08:00:00.000-05:002014-11-12T08:00:10.020-05:00Motherhood Smotherhood by JJ Keith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPFFMKkxNHG0rYWu0htiJFeuRZY_As87YNujvgV8WuLxov1LWm4N5vzoPejwE5R9QxnH0FvBrvcyTWXHFrgyfy-T9bNMIADpzNbqOCT67w3FmhxTcACzicWPe3TIKhDjkbYAEl09nsw/s1600/Motherhood+Smotherhood+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPFFMKkxNHG0rYWu0htiJFeuRZY_As87YNujvgV8WuLxov1LWm4N5vzoPejwE5R9QxnH0FvBrvcyTWXHFrgyfy-T9bNMIADpzNbqOCT67w3FmhxTcACzicWPe3TIKhDjkbYAEl09nsw/s320/Motherhood+Smotherhood+.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Genre: Nonfiction, Parenting</span></b><!--EndFragment-->
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<b><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> What's the first thing a woman does when she thinks she
might be pregnant? She Googles. And it goes downhill from there. While the
internet is full of calming and cheerily supportive articles, it's also littered
with hyper-judgmental message boards and heaps of contradictory and scolding
information. Motherhood Smotherhood takes parents through the trenches of new
parenting, warning readers of the pleasures and perils of mommy blogs, new
parent groups, self-described "lactivists," sleep fascists, incessant
trend pieces on working versus non-working mothers, and the place where free
time and self-esteem goes to die: Pinterest (back away from the hand-made
flower headbands for baby!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> JJ Keith interweaves discussions of what "it takes a
village" really means (hint: a lot of unwanted advice from elderly
strangers who may have grown up in actual villages) and a take-down of the
rising "make your own baby food" movement (just mush a banana with a
fork!) with laugh-out-loud observations about the many mistakes she made as a
frantic new mother with too much access to high speed internet and a lot of
questions. Keith cuts to the truth--whether it's about "perfect"
births, parenting gurus, the growing tide of vaccine rejecters, the joy of
blanketing Facebook with baby pics, or germophobia--to move conversations about
parenting away from experts espousing blanket truths to amateurs relishing in
what a big, messy pile of delight and trauma having a baby is. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Review</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> JJ Keith hits the parenting nail on the head. As a mother of four daughters, I have read just about every pregnancy and parenting book there is. Motherhood Smotherhood is a breath of fresh air. Instead of convincing the reader to parent a certain way, Keith encourages her audience to be confident in their parenting decisions. She touches on many key issues that are widely criticized, such as breastfeeding (in public!), vaccinations, food choices, and more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> After reading Motherhood Smotherhood, I feel as if JJ Keith and I could be great friends. Her book gives the best advice about parenting: Do it your way, and don't worry about the judgmental looks you may receive. It's a reminder that we can all be amazing parents without getting sucked into the latest silly trends or sanctimonious mom drama. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> I definitely recommend this book to parents everywhere. Common sense needs to become, well....more common. This parenting book is a great place to start. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Author Bio</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> JJ Keith has written about being a crappy attachment parent
for Salon, explored the disturbing undertones of Thomas the Tank Engine for
TheRumpus.net, come out as pro-vaccine for The Huffington Post, interviewed
Samantha Irby for Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, differentiated being
judgmental and having an opinion for Role/Reboot, admitted to a bare knuckled
brawl with a dude for The Nervous Breakdown, examined the phenomenon of
"don't touch the bump" t-shirts for Babble, and explained what new
moms have in common with teenage boys for The Hairpin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Her writing has been syndicated in the Sydney Morning
Herald, iVillage Australia, Mamamia, and Alternet, and she's taken her work to
the stage with The Moth, Happy Hour Story Experiment, Write Club, and Expressing
Motherhood and spoken about parenting issues with APM's Marketplace, HuffPost
Live, and on a panel at the 2013 LA Times Festival of Books. Her micro-memoir
won a $2,500 prize from Reader's Digest and was anthologized in The Best Life
Stories: 150 Real-life Tales of Resilience, Joy, and Hope-All 150 Words or
Less!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and her two
children. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can visit JJ Keith's <a href="http://www.jjkeith.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Website</b></span></a>, or follow her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jjkeith?fref=ts" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Facebook</b></span></a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/jj_keith" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Twitter</b></span></a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Add Motherhood Smotherhood to your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20578632-motherhood-smotherhood" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #990000;">GoodReads</span></b></a> list, or purchase it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1629146587/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1629146587&linkCode=as2&tag=jjukid0e-20&linkId=27LPYCI6V76XBDBO" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Amazon</b></span></a>. </span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-36146535536892994192014-10-29T11:11:00.000-04:002014-10-29T11:11:06.946-04:00"Why did you do that to yourself?"<br />
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A few days ago I was doing some Christmas shopping with my two youngest girls. </div>
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We get to the checkout and the lady scanning my items starts talking to them. </div>
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This is a common occurrence when you have kids. The talking wasn’t the issue. </div>
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She asks my 2 year-old if she likes being a big sister, to which 2yo replies:</div>
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“I’m the little sister!”</div>
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So I explain to the cashier that I have two daughters older than these two. </div>
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Her reply? </div>
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A very surprised, </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Why did you do that to yourself?!”</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Wait. What? </span></div>
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It was one of those moments in which I didn’t really know what to say, so I just laughed it off.</div>
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Since I have had time to think back on it....</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">What a ridiculous thing to say to someone!</span></div>
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Although I am absolutely 1000000% happy with the four beautiful blessings God gave me to take care of in this life, I didn’t <b>choose</b> their gender. I didn’t choose their personalities. I didn’t choose <b>anything</b> about them. Kids are a package deal. You get what you get. You can’t pick and choose traits. If you want to argue science with me, I’ll show you a family picture in which you will see three blue-eyed, light haired children, one brown eyed-brunette girl, a blue-eyed dad with brown hair, and a brown-eyed, brunette mom. </div>
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<b>Conception is like a box of chocolates.</b> </div>
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I am very aware that it is a blessing in and of itself that I can even have children. There was a brief moment in time when I wondered if I could, because I had miscarried our first pregnancy. That was a scary time for me. Not to mention the fact that I am friends with two amazing couples who have struggled for years to have a baby of their own. If I could have a baby for them, I would do it in a heartbeat!</div>
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I never forget how blessed I am. Ever.</div>
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Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not <i><b>ever</b></i> ask a parent, <i>“Why did you do that to yourself?”</i> While all of my pregnancies were very welcome and somewhat planned, there are people out there who have unplanned pregnancies, or find out they’re expecting multiples, or have a myriad of any other possible situations going on. Or maybe there’s a hope-to-be parent standing nearby wishing they could <i>‘do that to him/herself.’ </i> </div>
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<b>Choose your words wisely</b>. </div>
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The next parent you’re talking to may not have the same sense of humor I do.</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-53779683398842274502014-10-16T08:30:00.000-04:002014-10-16T10:13:17.835-04:00Testing, Testing....Is This Thing On!?<br />
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Does anyone else feel like a broken record sometimes? I think that if my girls’ vocabularies were limited to the words they heard from me, it would be limited to the following phrases: </div>
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Are you listening?</div>
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Why did you do that? </div>
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Stop!</div>
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Are you serious right now?</div>
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I don’t speak whinese! </div>
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On the flip side, I hope they hear me when I say things like: </div>
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Your picture is beautiful!</div>
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You look gorgeous today! </div>
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Thank you for using your manners.</div>
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You’re being so helpful! </div>
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I love you! </div>
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I have been making a conscious effort to say more positive things to my girls. I know how fragile a girl’s self esteem is, and I want them to be confident. I always want them to feel special and loved. </div>
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What are some things you say to, or do with your kids to make sure they know you think they’re special? </div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-22951421240266279882014-10-15T08:30:00.000-04:002014-10-15T08:30:00.573-04:00Wishful Wednesday<br />
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I wish that I could see my grandmother more. I miss her so much, and think about her often. She is a strong and amazing woman. She has taught me many lessons throughout my life. My siblings and I practically lived at her house when we were young, since our own house was only a few miles away. Our school bus route went by both of our houses, and we were allowed to get off the bus at whichever house we wanted. My grandfather passed away at the beginning of this year. I had told my husband that I wanted to spend some time visiting with my grandparents the next time we traveled to my hometown. My grandfather fell ill and that never happened. I find time to spend with Grandma every time we’re in town now. There’s no excuse for not finding time for your loved ones. </div>
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These aren’t the greatest pictures, but I cherish them. I love the hundreds, no thousands of memories we’ve shared.</div>
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What do you wish for today? It can be something as small as a chocolate candy bar, or a treat. It could be something you’ve always wanted, like a ’69 Mustang (is that a good one? I have no clue). It could even be something spiritual, philosophical, or political. Share with me in the comments!<br /><br /><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><br /><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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About a year ago, I came across a blog that has changed the way I look at food. It has changed my shopping habits, as well as my cooking habits. The blog is called <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">100 Days of Real Food</span></a>. </span>As the title suggests, it’s all about a family’s challenge to eat only real food for 100 days. Having four daughters myself, I thought that a diet change was a great idea! I have not completely excluded every single thing that is processed, but I have made significant changes to our diets. We eat in at least 5-6 nights a week, and even still try to do so more often. I have stopped buying pre-made frozen foods, and started making more from scratch. This blog is full of excellent recipes and ideas for families looking to make a change toward healthier diets. I highly suggest you check it out!</div>
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One of my favorite recipes from her blog (which can also be found in her cookbook!) is whole spelt pumpkin muffins. I made a couple of changes to them, but her recipe is the one I used. I replaced the spelt with white whole wheat flour. I also added dark chocolate chips onto the tops of the muffins a few minutes before they were finished baking, then returned them to the oven for the remainder of the baking time. </div>
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They are delicious! My girls love them, too! Click the link below for the recipe!</div>
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<a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/09/25/recipe-whole-spelt-pumpkin-muffins-and-other-spelt-recipes/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Whole Spelt Pumpkin Muffins</span></a><br />
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Tasty Tuesday will be a weekly post in which I share recipes that I love (along with the proper credits), as well as recipes submitted by readers, which I would love to try, too!</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-11540843065128008692014-10-13T08:30:00.000-04:002014-10-13T08:30:01.786-04:00To Everything There Is a Season<br />
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When I was in high school, I was an honor student working toward my goal of moving out and going to college, much like many of my classmates, and other teenagers my age. Then, something happened. During the middle of my Junior year, my father accepted a job four hours away from where I was born, and had grown up until this point in my life. We’re from a small town. The kids I was in high school with were the same ones from Kindergarten. There were just over 100 students in my graduating class. We were more than just classmates. We were family. The plan was for me to stay with my grandparents (who lived in the school district) for one semester of my Senior year, during which I could earn the credits to graduate early. However, after spending the summer with my family in our new home, I decided that I wanted to stay with them. </div>
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I moved to a high school with over 2,400 students. My schedule went from a block to traditional. I felt like a cow being herded from stall to stall in between very short lessons, during which I learned very little, or close to nothing because of limited class time. Before the end of the first semester, I had researched homeschooling programs, enrolled, and payed the bill for myself to ‘attend’. I earned the rest of the credits needed for my diploma, and graduated on my own. </div>
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A few months after I graduated, I met my (unknown to me at the time) husband. That fall, I had applied (and been accepted to) a state university. My financial aid, however, did not go through. I was unable to attend because I couldn’t afford it. Having always been that student who had pictured herself as the typical college student--living away from home, attending classes, just...being in college-- it was very frustrating. I was so wrapped up in <i>what</i> I wanted, and <i>when</i> I wanted it, that I didn’t realize God was whispering, “<i>Be patient. I have a plan.</i>” </div>
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My husband and I started dating, and were engaged nine months later. Somewhere during that time I had begun the process to start earning credits at a local tech school to make school expenses cheaper. That didn’t work out either. <i>God had a plan.</i> </div>
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After many long talks about family, and what we wanted, and the life we wanted for our family, we decided that having kids soon after we were married was the best thing for us. School never fit into the very small breaks between having three children in the last four years. </div>
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So now, I’m <i>finally</i> starting school. I’m finding time in between snacks, and diapers, a nursing baby, and a potty training toddler, chores, errands, and ball games. I’m only on my first class and I’ve come to realize that I need to become more organized and on-point with ‘me time’ so I can get this done. It’s going to be a long, challenging road full of late nights and lots of caffeine, but I know I will get it done. I was always a good student in school, but learning everything myself, on my time and terms, well, that’s a whole different ball game that comes with a whole new set of challenges. I’m finally ready to start this journey, and hopefully my family will understand why mommy is so cranky, or tired, or stressed. On the flip side, I also hope that I can be patient and understanding when I have completely run out of both of those things. </div>
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I know there are many parents out there who have also taken online classes with small children at home. Share with me in the comments below: What tips, tricks, or ideas have you used to manage your time while taking classes? </div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-91342363617704918202014-10-10T09:00:00.000-04:002014-10-10T09:00:01.367-04:00A Perfect Dinner, In a Perfect World<br />Everyday at dinner time, I have so many willing hands to help. My wonderful, loving, and ever-so-helpful husband is always a step ahead of me, anticipating the needs of our daughters and myself. The girls are setting the table, while he pours everyone a drink, and I put the final touches on our dinner. We all sit down to the table and give thanks to the Lord for our meal with bowed heads and a perfect little prayer, recited by one of my blue-eyed princesses. Then we all politely take turns fixing our plates, listen to each other as we talk about our day, and, of course, use every manner ever written. Everyone compliments me on the amazingly delicious meal I have prepared. All of this is done effortlessly, without spilling a crumb of food, or drop of drink.<br />
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And then I wake up.<br />
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Well, I wasn’t lying when I said that I have blue-eyed princesses! Three, to be precise! Give me some credit there!<br />
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I dream of a day when no one complains about what’s for dinner. I would love to<i> not</i> hear someone ask for something else from the refrigerator with a whole meal laid out in front of them. It would be a miracle if we could get through dinner without the echoes of a burp reverberating through the house. Keeping the two-year-old in her seat throughout the entire meal would be a HUGE accomplishment! A simple, ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ would probably make me pass out. Someone offering to help clean up after? HA! Fat chance! I force my poor kids to clean up after dinner. Manual labor builds character. They have to rotate who does which ‘after dinner’ chore, and you would think they were driving railroad spikes into the ground. No, sweeping is NOT the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do, child!<br />
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I’m sure this is every parent’s dream! I think I’m going to have to get creative when it comes to teaching table manners. How do you teach your kids to exhibit good table manners?<br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-77024247438634756882013-12-11T00:08:00.000-05:002013-12-11T00:08:55.252-05:00From FOUR A’s to FIVE!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So many things have happened since March. I cannot believe I have taken such a long hiatus from blogging. Writing is one of my favorite things to do. Things are insanely busy around the Five A’s and a D house, but I’m going to try to keep up with my blog. It’s my little creative outlet.<br />
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According to the new blog title, this particular post is to introduce you to A number 5. She graced us with her presence in late September. Her big personality is already shining through!<br />
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Having all these little girls with names starting with A made me realize that I need to come up with unique nicknames for each of them. I’ll work on that.<br />
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<a href="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" title="" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1395224_10153475592920481_37419798_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" aria-busy="false" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" border="0" class="spotlight" height="320" src="https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1395224_10153475592920481_37419798_n.jpg" width="238" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-18711083575573827902013-03-07T07:00:00.000-05:002013-03-07T07:00:11.637-05:00Review: Greenwoman Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Many of you know that I do book reviews as a part of <a href="http://sagesblogtours.weebly.com/index.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sage’s Blog Tours</span></a> from time to time. This time, Sage has asked me to review a magazine instead of a book. </div>
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<span style="color: #0f2506; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Greenwoman
Magazine celebrates garden writing in all its forms: fiction, creative
nonfiction, poetry, commentary, biography, art, and comics! </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0f2506; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Daring and
fun, Greenwoman is for the hip gardener who loves digging into the
world of art and environmental thought that underlies gardening."</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0f2506; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Greenwoman
Magazine is a completely independent, one-woman-owned-and-run publication.
(Well, two-women, when Sandra’s daughter Zora, who is the Deputy Editor,
has time from her full-time college work).</span><!--EndFragment-->
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I have always enjoyed gardening. When I was young I would help my grandfather plant his vegetable garden, and then help him pick the veggies when they were ripe. Those are some of my favorite childhood memories. Reading the stories and articles in this magazine brought back some of those memories. </div>
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The entire magazine was a wonderful read. I particularly enjoyed the fictional pieces. “Diary Of a Garden Goddess” was a fun read. </div>
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One of my favorite short stories was “A Generous Season”.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a18; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>"We’ve warned friends to watch out, that the squash vines may be growing faster than they can run! Savvy friends visiting our ranch know about our squash problem and lock their cars, lest their back seats somehow mysteriously become filled with zucchini, neatly stacked like cord wood.”</i></span></div>
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Another of my favorite snippets of the magazine was this picture: </div>
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I think I would like to print and hang this in my kitchen. </div>
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There really wasn’t a part of Greenwoman Magazine that I didn’t enjoy. There are so many contributors it takes three full pages to list them! It’s refreshing to read quality content and not have to flip through pages and pages of advertisements to find it. </div>
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This wonderful magazine is available in PDF format for less than $3 an issue. </div>
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You can order your copy on the <a href="http://www.greenwomanmagazine.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Greenwoman Magazine</span></a> website.</div>
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<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-6709992324692557412013-02-28T08:05:00.000-05:002013-02-28T08:05:03.412-05:00Book Review: Gated by Matt Drabble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Synopsis:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Michael and Emily are a happy and contented </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">English couple, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">a writer and a school teacher. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Their lives are complete when </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Emily falls pregnant,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> however their dreams are </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">shattered one cold </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">winter night by a car accident </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">that robs </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">them of their happiness.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">To overcome their loss they up stick and move to Eden Gardens, a US gated community that offers "Heaven on Earth and Twice as Nice". The people are warm and friendly and welcome them with open arms. The town is a beautiful throwback to a bygone age, where the sun always shines and the sky's always blue.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">As they settle into their new perfect lives, the circle is complete when Emily falls pregnant. The town is perfect, the weather is perfect and their lives are perfect. But are the stares from their neighbours a little too intense, is the town a little too interested in their happy news, and is Eden all that it seems.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">They are about to find out that paradise comes at a cost, and when you sign a lease, you should always check the fine print.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>My Review:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> Michael and Emily Torrence are an English couple looking for a fresh start after the loss of their unborn baby. Michael stumbles across some information about a little town in America called Eden Gardens. It claims to be “Heaven on earth, and twice as nice.” It seems like a wonderful place to live, so they sell most of their belongings and move to Eden Gardens to start their new lives. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> After their arrival in Eden, Michael and Emily quickly get used to living life in their new home. They have a large beautiful home, and Emily has a job teaching at the elementary school. Michael is a writer and stays home to work. Everything is within walking distance. The town is always beautiful and clean. Everyone is extremely nice....maybe a little <i>too</i> nice. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> Michael starts noticing little quirks and curious goings-on. Emily is so happy in their new home that she dismisses his claims as being the product of a writer’s overactive imagination. She becomes pregnant and begins to notice that her neighbors’ stares tend to linger a little too long. She and Michael begin looking into the town’s history, which is dark and twisted with mysterious disappearances and deaths. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The town’s history catches up with them and they land in real trouble. The residents have plans for the Torrences and their unborn baby, and Michael in Emily weren’t included in the <i>planning</i> part. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> Horrors and thrillers are not my usual genres. That being said, I found Gated to be a well-written book. I couldn’t stop reading it. There are so many twists and turns in the story that you don’t know which characters to trust. The author includes detailed accounts of the town’s history to help you understand a little bit more about Eden without giving away what will happen next. This story reels you in and keeps you on the hook. Drabble ended the book in such a way that you’ll be wanting to read more about Eden Gardens and the Torrences.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">You can purchase Gated in Kindle Edition on </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gated-ebook/dp/B00AHW1VW2/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1362056563&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=gated+by+matt+drabble" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Amazon</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> for only $1.49!</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><br /><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-56436108119536634282013-02-17T14:48:00.003-05:002013-02-17T14:48:57.863-05:00Book Review: HerStory<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">HerStory</span></b></div>
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by Delaina M. Waldron</div>
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<b><u>Synopsis</u></b></div>
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HerStory a novel by Delaina M. Waldron is a
paranormal/thriller that takes the reader on a journey in the life of a young
African slave woman named Ayira who has a dark secret. A dark secret she
does not understand and is beyond her control.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 27.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ayira can see the past and the future and she
can also speak to the dead. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 27.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It is the beginning of slavery in America, a
Native American tribe rescues Ayira and she struggles to balance her special
powers and face her dark past to help the people around her.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 27.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ayira must overcome her fears of her dark
past, survive the present and accept her destiny to help prevent the Indian
tribes fatal outcomes.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 27.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></div>
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Ayira is an African woman who was sold into slavery. After she arrived in America and was sold to a slave owner, her group was attacked by Native Americans on the river. Ayira and the other slaves were taken to live in their village. </div>
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One of the elders of the Native American tribe had foreseen her coming. He knew she was there for a purpose. Ayira, however, was haunted by her past and by visions of the future, so she kept to herself. She rarely left her teepee and didn’t socialize with the members of the tribe if she could avoid it. </div>
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Ayira is a very intriguing character with secrets beyond her control. As the story progresses, more light is shed upon her secrets and the powers which she possesses. She must deal with the demons from her past who are haunting her as she learns how to use her gift to help the tribe. </div>
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I enjoyed HerStory. It was a great, quick read. Waldron does a wonderful job of keeping just enough secrets to keep you interested as the story progresses. She knows just when to give you a little more information to make you want to see what happens next. </div>
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<b>Author Bio</b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Delaina M. Waldron is a Screenwriter, Novelist and freelance writer in
her spare time. She wrote two feature length screenplays one of which was
adapted to her novel "HerStory" and the other a comedy called
"Ghetto Ghost Hunters" was a finalist in the 2011 Hollywood
Screenwriting contest. She also wrote a short screenplay a thriller
called "Peeper", which is currently in production.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Delaina M. Waldron is a single mother of one and is currently a city bus
driver and a military veteran for the Army Reserves, based in New York City.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Website: </span></b><a href="http://www.herstorynovel.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">www.herstorynovel.com</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Twitter: </span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">@delainawaldron<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Blog:</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://delainawaldron.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/hello-world/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">http://delainawaldron.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/hello-world/</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a1a;">Facebook page: </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_351046677"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span></a></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delaina-M-Waldron/227854963892903?ref=hl"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Delaina-M-Waldron/227854963892903?ref=hl</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">HerStory</span></b></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-32627407791293701062013-02-06T07:00:00.000-05:002013-02-06T07:00:16.175-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fb-2Pe2-MZOoka34kvPU_n9uGOPsKE0lyfFZbJoXJibMwqXirNJGpkNRRdCRbgSIacMe1cpb7BqfcrHzSGiOeRH6dSNqJeb9ij7dXnmjIQT2vizSI-hvz0TQfDb7D8yvXTTk7dCsJg/s1600/D&Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fb-2Pe2-MZOoka34kvPU_n9uGOPsKE0lyfFZbJoXJibMwqXirNJGpkNRRdCRbgSIacMe1cpb7BqfcrHzSGiOeRH6dSNqJeb9ij7dXnmjIQT2vizSI-hvz0TQfDb7D8yvXTTk7dCsJg/s400/D&Girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-14261096566041299862013-01-31T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-31T07:00:17.061-05:00Little ConversationsThis is a conversation that Middle A and I had the other day. We have many cute, strange, and funny conversations around here. I need someone to share them with, so I choose you! Aren’t you so lucky!?<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Middle A</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Me</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #a64d79;">Soooo......I want a tree house.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">You do?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Yes. One with bars I can climb on. Outside in our tree so I don’t get hurt.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Really?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Yes. How can I get one?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Maybe you could ask Daddy to build it.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">[gasp] I have my own tools!</span><br />
(She’s referring to a toy tool bench).<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Wow! You do!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I have a hammer, and stickers (nails), and I can help Daddy build it!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sounds good to me, kiddo!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
That night, she woke up in the middle of the night looking for her sheep. Sheep is her favorite stuffed animal. She sleeps with it every night. We found sheep and I started to tuck her back into her bed, but she got upset and started kicking the covers off.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">What’s wrong?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I want to sleep in my sleeping house!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sleeping house?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Yes. I want to sleep in it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Honey, I don’t know what that is.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Outside! I want to sleep in my sleeping house.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">OH! Your tree house? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Yes! My tree house.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We don’t have a treehouse yet. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I have to ask Daddy to build it?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yes, sweetheart. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I can use my hammer and my stickers? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yes, love. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I love you so much, Mom.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I love you too, sweetheart. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-20912482396638118852013-01-30T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-30T07:00:02.880-05:00Book Review: The Second Daughter<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1g3vzjYaG2moVrlsHpwIC99lCc0wBXjMueTiMzL_b5JvlG829B7__8v7O6Q7RWR-BgZD2BVeAObDnLcDvYRyiPDRO0wdjB65WfcOa8Ob45R-Hu0zBDaL4Dr2iaTjkZdcZc-brKRCuA/s1600/seconddaughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1g3vzjYaG2moVrlsHpwIC99lCc0wBXjMueTiMzL_b5JvlG829B7__8v7O6Q7RWR-BgZD2BVeAObDnLcDvYRyiPDRO0wdjB65WfcOa8Ob45R-Hu0zBDaL4Dr2iaTjkZdcZc-brKRCuA/s400/seconddaughter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Second Daughter</span></b><br /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by J. Jeffrey</span></b></div>
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://www.theseconddaughter.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">www.theseconddaughter.com</span></a></b></span></li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #333333; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Print Length:</b> 275 pages</span></li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #333333; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Top Press; 1 edition (January 3, 2013)</span></li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #333333; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>ISBN: </b>1480043214</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">_____________________</span></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Synopsis</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i> You </i>try turning out all right after you overhear
your mother wishing you hadn’t been born.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It had started out well. Umbrellas
tangled. A storybook romance followed. A wonderful wedding. A beautiful, sweet
first daughter. They were complete, a family, happy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And then they went and had another
daughter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Her charming and witty father
Theodore starts disappearing, then worse, starts coming back. Her once
allegedly sweet older sister Regina angrily resents her, and the sisters are at
constant war. Her mother Helen is so busy what-iffing about the life she might
have had that she overlooks the life she is actually having. Everyone blames
Debra for pretty much <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything</i> as
the family slowly, then quickly, then one day explosively disintegrates. Along
the way there are secrets and lies, heartbreaks and betrayals, plus the
dramatic unexpected death of a central character at a pivotal moment. The now
young woman finds herself living awkwardly alone with her embittered mother
when the phone rings—and her mother’s secret past suddenly crashes back into
the present.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Their life may be about to change forever; or
rather, perhaps, revert back to what it should have been all along.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">But not exactly because of that phone call, as it
turns out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because of the remarkable second daughter. For </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">what Debra Gale
has is unyielding determination. What she has is an irrepressible capacity to
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And now at last what she has is a
chance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The complex dynamics of a changing
family. Mother, daughters, sisters, and the father who both divides and unifies
them. That dramatic unexpected death, plus more than the ordinary amount of
banana cream pie. Welcome to <i>The Second
Daughter</i>: a funny but
poignant, unusual but beautiful love story. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">_________________</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>My Review</u></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I have to admit, The Second Daughter didn’t immediately draw me in. It started out as kind of a slow read for me. I had already read the synopsis, and knew that the story was going to be a good one, so I read on. After a chapter or two, I couldn’t put it down. There was so much going on in this small family’s life that I <i>had</i> to keep reading to see what happened next.</span></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">J. Jeffrey does a great job of creating a complex story that creates a wide range of emotions for the reader. You swoon over their love story, and get annoyed when Theodore shrugs off something important to Helen. You love their new baby, Regina, then feel bad for poor little Deb. You get angry at Regina for constantly getting Deb in trouble, then you are happy when Deb and Helen become best friends. So many things happen in this book that the reader cannot possibly predict what will happen next. Theodore’s character is completely irresponsible and unpredictable, while Helen is proper and organized. They seem to be one of those ‘opposites attract’ couples, but their relationship (and eventually lack thereof) is the source of only half of the family drama. </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Regina is a calculating, conniving little girl. She is very jealous of her younger sister and frequently conspires ways to get her in trouble. Her personality is more like Helen’s, whereas Deb is more like Theodore. Because of the differences in their personalities, the girls’ parents never believe Deb when she tries to tell them that Regina has done something on purpose to get her in trouble. Their sibling rivalry lasted into adulthood, and is the other half of the family drama. </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I absolutely recommend this book. One of the qualities I look for in a book is that it completely submerses me into the story. J.Jeffrey did a fabulous job of that. He incorporated just enough drama, romance and conflict into the story to keep me glued to my kindle and wish there was more to read at the end! </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">________________</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>About the Author:</u></b></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXAuUZb8P90n6wE6-aHZwgBtYcUQYp9DH-0Rg7hNbpAzLa1lT2X5qN9sR8751N3zjiMIC0Gvseqc0CYQOqfp-xgMJubY0ZpRLQHp77UrGY7dOFzxNcAy9S-yc7rzXLXp6sTapicvtUA/s1600/J+Jeffrey+Coffee+Girl+SketchFinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXAuUZb8P90n6wE6-aHZwgBtYcUQYp9DH-0Rg7hNbpAzLa1lT2X5qN9sR8751N3zjiMIC0Gvseqc0CYQOqfp-xgMJubY0ZpRLQHp77UrGY7dOFzxNcAy9S-yc7rzXLXp6sTapicvtUA/s320/J+Jeffrey+Coffee+Girl+SketchFinal.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></o:p></div>
</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">J. Jeffrey stands
about six foot three and likes poetry. He has been known to climb the
occasional mountain and tame the occasional lion. He sings opera as an amateur
but is trained as a masseur, and he is extremely partial to his wife’s green
tea perfume. He drinks too much coffee, and gets lost a lot. Two words:
Florence, Italy. Pastry for breakfast, over the crossword puzzle, preferably
after noon. Soup for lunch, preferably late afternoon, over another puzzle (the
first having been solved). His favorite drink (after coffee) is red wine. He
knows a word or two but will <i>not</i> play
scrabble. Regrettably, he believes he might be happy if only you would think
him as funny as he thinks he is. But most importantly, he is not to be trusted.
He writes biographies full of lies, or are they novels full of truths? Such a
fine line.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">____________________________</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">You can purchase The Second Daughter on Amazon in </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Second-Daughter-J-Jeffrey/dp/1480043214/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359513857&sr=1-1&keywords=the+second+daughter" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">paperback</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> or </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Second-Daughter-ebook/dp/B00ATO88L0/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359513910&sr=1-1&keywords=the+second+daughter" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Kindle</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> edition. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-88713426588678838862013-01-29T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-29T07:00:12.575-05:00Tasty Tuesday: Cauliflower-crusted Pizza<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkdnGnpoqQW3bCO0gQGab74-kz7YHF66CEY-B-qTP5kxcTpoBGyhk__N4SxM2oLyhz2hyphenhyphenOn1Tm9IV_HqHpKxfDjREClV1chQgVl41xLabsBNixvPFSU2wrj09rA0pzEoWuTdAcdeYOA/s1600/KellyPizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkdnGnpoqQW3bCO0gQGab74-kz7YHF66CEY-B-qTP5kxcTpoBGyhk__N4SxM2oLyhz2hyphenhyphenOn1Tm9IV_HqHpKxfDjREClV1chQgVl41xLabsBNixvPFSU2wrj09rA0pzEoWuTdAcdeYOA/s320/KellyPizza.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A healthier, low-carb alternative to the regular, carb-loaded, bread-crusted pizza. </div>
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<b><u>Ingredients:</u></b><br />
<br />
<u>Crust</u><br />
<br />
2 cups of steamed cauliflower<br />
<br />
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese<br />
<br />
2 eggs<br />
<br />
<u>Toppings</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
You may use any toppings you like, but if you would like to keep the recipe on the healthier side, I recommend using vegetable toppings, and minimal cheese.<br />
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<b><u>Directions:</u></b><br />
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Preheat oven to 450º.<br />
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<br />
Mix cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, and eggs in food processor or blender.<br />
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Spread out the mixture on parchment paper, on a pizza pan.<br />
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Bake for 15-20 minutes.<br />
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Remove crust from the oven.<br />
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Add toppings, then place it in the oven until the cheese melts on top.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxEcht_dHipbuyJq_RqGPK-mFzMPii3mvEByqkRbe6tRuTSVnAfpubOXrXIPoiGAonf_13W5j7r9_njmUMKG0n3BOuzJbuAUWIH-NueHJM7h3bF_QUvbiReHOqc0AR4d0mM_H1XtbWg/s1600/KellyProfileFramed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxEcht_dHipbuyJq_RqGPK-mFzMPii3mvEByqkRbe6tRuTSVnAfpubOXrXIPoiGAonf_13W5j7r9_njmUMKG0n3BOuzJbuAUWIH-NueHJM7h3bF_QUvbiReHOqc0AR4d0mM_H1XtbWg/s320/KellyProfileFramed.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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Today’s Tasty Tuesday recipe was submitted by my little sister, Kelly. She has been kickin’ butt and takin’ names in her battle to lose weight. She has completely overhauled her eating and exercise habits. To date, she has lost 80lbs! I am so extremely proud of her! She is truly an inspiration to me! </div>
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<br />
<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-86726277429156963062013-01-28T11:22:00.000-05:002013-01-28T11:25:49.605-05:00Will Run for Chocolate!!!<br />
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After Little A was born in November 2011, I kept telling myself I would run a 5K at some point in 2012. That was my fitness goal: to be able to run a 5K. I didn’t get serious about it until close to the end of the year when I saw this: </div>
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<a href="http://www.hotchocolate15k.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8K0Jer83VBc1YtCPZWW3x9xw4YCWree_hHebTFgbmpvdZnL3VygqXeyaW25Mt1K8YgysPsUtUhqXAHPo_s4V6jfr1EBkv-epq6MWbp3UI37Y-wBElzcBamLPdUEY5y8ipE_n4iP2Lg/s320/Screen+shot+2013-01-28+at+10.58.38+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was amazing! If any of you know at least one thing about me, it’s probably that I <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">LOVE</span> chocolate. I could combine my fitness goal AND my favorite sweet treat. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Seriously? </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I’M IN!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The race wasn’t actually until January 2013, but better late than never, right? </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
With this being my first race, I didn’t want to go it alone, so I told my little sister about it. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This girl. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am so proud of her! </div>
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She has lost 80 lbs and is an exercising fool! </div>
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(I’ll actually be sharing one of her healthy recipes tomorrow!)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We downloaded running apps onto our Iphones so we wouldn’t kill ourselves trying to train for the race. We used the free app 10K for Pink. It’s very handy. It starts you out doing intervals of running and walking so you don’t jump right into running and give up. </div>
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So race day came. We arrived bright and early, or in this case, dark and early. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThZM6MRbuncR5vBApmEk1SnNU5aXfW82d3eK7Zwo5_MAxi7xaNwlFTONOW8NZpJxYh0C9EhgdrVs4pHP_jtG6twffZEwxWzp9sgefBHVWVWYRvHOHSI0gC9RCDihUZSdY3Zl0u2D1xA/s1600/5K1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThZM6MRbuncR5vBApmEk1SnNU5aXfW82d3eK7Zwo5_MAxi7xaNwlFTONOW8NZpJxYh0C9EhgdrVs4pHP_jtG6twffZEwxWzp9sgefBHVWVWYRvHOHSI0gC9RCDihUZSdY3Zl0u2D1xA/s320/5K1.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
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We put on our race bibs and went to our race corrals!</div>
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There were close to 20,000 runners in the 15K & 5K. That place was packed!</div>
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We started at Turner Field, ran a 3.2 mile loop, and finished back at Turner Field.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eAYrBexg6yuo4D38zSqaIMzNi-PR0BAlkqRCvOc7ErRQIJoZUArQy-m17bMhTWYYVsXctJrfok-XlqYzMuRaYiRu626NQah8QrgyJWu-N2N8EH0eR7AzxlePnSGry8h2Y-aUmUtsVQ/s1600/5K2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5eAYrBexg6yuo4D38zSqaIMzNi-PR0BAlkqRCvOc7ErRQIJoZUArQy-m17bMhTWYYVsXctJrfok-XlqYzMuRaYiRu626NQah8QrgyJWu-N2N8EH0eR7AzxlePnSGry8h2Y-aUmUtsVQ/s320/5K2.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
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It took us 38 minutes and 32 seconds to finish the race. </div>
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I’m pretty proud of us!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAXw1dawKz-JIRipEn6pWKgFIGeokgxq_b5oUUVfDiAdoDdTy5F2pua9ehaWAm6m2Sn-NTyOUZ_vX2qjQEbNdZXlLjuqRrnXtIB2ERuJVegJObIwLQzkZVYjrb4_iDIH7yW8_fMZ22w/s1600/5K3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAXw1dawKz-JIRipEn6pWKgFIGeokgxq_b5oUUVfDiAdoDdTy5F2pua9ehaWAm6m2Sn-NTyOUZ_vX2qjQEbNdZXlLjuqRrnXtIB2ERuJVegJObIwLQzkZVYjrb4_iDIH7yW8_fMZ22w/s320/5K3.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
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After the race we enjoyed our finisher’s mugs! </div>
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We got lots of tasty treats to dip in chocolate, and a cup of hot chocolate to go with it! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nzYcw3rOP-Vys8g3eyRSRRKhIIVGp2n16MGZjeHs7VFdT-eTw_6Rnil7foo9cGWf5Zmx4lZwpXYAGtiYpM_d_IKjz4cUrdrSIuchRUZ3alsHhU34j3Ugji9VQ4_2JIj262xty3eclg/s1600/5K4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nzYcw3rOP-Vys8g3eyRSRRKhIIVGp2n16MGZjeHs7VFdT-eTw_6Rnil7foo9cGWf5Zmx4lZwpXYAGtiYpM_d_IKjz4cUrdrSIuchRUZ3alsHhU34j3Ugji9VQ4_2JIj262xty3eclg/s320/5K4.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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Fitness Goal? </div>
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Check! </div>
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Tasty Chocolate?</div>
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Check!</div>
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Cool Race Hoodies?</div>
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Check!</div>
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Fun day with my little sister?</div>
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Check! </div>
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I think this one was a winner! </div>
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I’m gonna be doing it again next year! </div>
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<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-31896360595654769262013-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-24T07:00:10.522-05:00Caring Mom, or Fallback Plan?<br />
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Every day after school, Big A has the same routine. After we talk about her day for a few minutes, she goes to her room to do her homework and she reads for twenty minutes. She has a homework packet that her teacher hands out at the beginning of the week. Inside this packe, there is a page for each day of the week, Monday through Thursday. They do the work throughout the week and turn it in on Friday. </div>
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Her teacher had them put together binders at the beginning of the school year. Inside, they have an agenda, some notebook paper, a pencil pouch, and various folders labeled for certain things. One of these folders is labeled ‘Homework’. Can you guess what that one is for? RIGHT-O! That’s the folder she’s supposed to keep her homework in throughout the week so she doesn’t lose it before Friday. </div>
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Does her homework ever make it into that folder? </div>
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No. Never.</div>
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It gets shoved into her binder, or her backpack, or she lays it on her desk. Never, ever does the child put it in her homework folder. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve told her to put it there. It.doesn’t.happen.</div>
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Now, let’s talk about last Thursday. </div>
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I’m sitting at my desk writing some content for my blog when Big A comes into my bedroom and asks me where her homework is. I have no clue. It’s not my homework, it’s hers. Plus, I told her the night before to put it in her homework folder. Of course, it never made it there.</div>
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<i>“I can’t find it anywhere!”</i></div>
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<i>“I told you to put it in your homework folder last night.”</i></div>
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<i>“I know.”</i></div>
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<i>“Why didn’t you?”</i></div>
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<i>“I thought I did.” </i></div>
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<i>“Obviously you didn’t.”</i></div>
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<i>“If I don’t turn it in tomorrow, Mrs. H will make me sit out at recess and do the whole thing all over again!”</i></div>
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<i>“Then you better get lookin’!”</i></div>
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<i>“I need help!”</i></div>
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<i>“No you don’t. It’s your homework. Not mine. I told you to put it where it belongs last night and you didn’t listen.”</i></div>
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<i>>Insert more whining and complaining about needing help finding it, and me refusing.<</i></div>
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She finally found it and completed it. After I checked it for errors, I gave it back to her and told her to put it in her homework folder. She said, ‘Ok,’ and took it downstairs to her room. Silly me, for not checking to see whether it made it there or not. Should I <i>have</i> to check? Or should I just assume that, at 8-years-old, she’s old enough to be responsible for her homework?</div>
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Fast-forward to the next morning. It’s time to walk to the bus stop and she’s about to walk out the door. I have to remind her to get her coat. She makes a trip downstairs, comes back with her coat in one hand, and (did you guess?) her homework in the other.</div>
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<i>“Why is your homework not in your homework folder?”</i></div>
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<i>“I set it on my desk.”</i></div>
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<i>“That’s not where I told you to put it.” </i></div>
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<i>“I know.”</i></div>
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<i>>banging head against wall<</i></div>
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It was freezing outside, so I insisted she put her coat on. She put it on, grabbed her backpack, and walked down to the bus stop. Since the bus stop is at the bottom of our road (only about 3 houses down from ours), I stand at the end of our driveway and watch her get on the bus. Little A & Middle A are still sleeping at this time every morning, so I don’t want to go too far away from the house. I watch as the bus pulls up, she and the other kids at the stop get on, and they head to school. I walk inside, take off my coat, hang it up, and turn to walk up the stairs. </div>
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Guess what’s sitting there on the stairs? </div>
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HER HOMEWORK! </div>
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The very same homework she was freaking out over the day before. </div>
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The very same homework she was <i>so</i> worried about having to re-do during recess. </div>
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She sat it on the step as she put her coat and backpack on, and neither of us realized she had left it behind. </div>
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So now I have this inner quarrel going on: </div>
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<b>Should I take it to her?</b> </div>
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or</div>
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<b>Should I let her learn her lesson?</b></div>
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If I take it to her, I would be ‘the best Mom ever’ for saving her little butt. Right? But then, what if she makes a habit of it? She obviously isn’t being responsible with her homework in the first place. I don’t want her to think that she can just use me as a fall-back plan whenever she’s irresponsible, or when she makes wrong choices. On the other hand, I want her to know that I’m there for her when she needs me. Is this a ‘she needs me’ moment? </div>
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Ahhhh crap! </div>
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Parenting is hard. </div>
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Is there a right or wrong answer? </div>
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Who knows?</div>
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In the end, I chose <i>not</i> to take it to her. I know from our conversation on Thursday that she knew what the consequences were if she didn’t have her homework on Friday. If she was so concerned with having it, she would have put it in her homework folder, right? Then it would have been in her backpack and ready to take to school. Instead, she laid it on her desk and grabbed it on her way out the door the next morning. </div>
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Let’s hear from some other moms! </div>
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Do you agree with my choice? </div>
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Disagree? </div>
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Why? </div>
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<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-44273513352051408292013-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-23T07:00:17.188-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsgUV8brsZOVI6A_Br7G8KgJV0o8En-xJbgn5JqGIiTMGxOya6wYc3RBCWu8gmLXeELGPMyZzcTOqyQiCZmOqsEItRtn8gCzUGPM4Olinsumn1-JH6CzR0MUl14Xv9KZaBYypHSs28A/s1600/davidabigailkite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsgUV8brsZOVI6A_Br7G8KgJV0o8En-xJbgn5JqGIiTMGxOya6wYc3RBCWu8gmLXeELGPMyZzcTOqyQiCZmOqsEItRtn8gCzUGPM4Olinsumn1-JH6CzR0MUl14Xv9KZaBYypHSs28A/s400/davidabigailkite.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-20763382556995690932013-01-22T07:34:00.000-05:002013-01-22T07:34:41.155-05:00Tasty Tuesday<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Chicken Lasagna</span></b><br />
<b>Submitted by Bree Masters</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0WoJKd4bc5-vnTtisjRkl7LtS8wziuIfOoJKy7iUcZse9GC26WVtR5FWHh2G51bc0aZGkRyVX97c0hg1OM7NpUqhColyNXb_ksza8vp_7rbhno7UlkHYCv-ajQhz3BWFLynopMTI8g/s1600/breerecipepic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0WoJKd4bc5-vnTtisjRkl7LtS8wziuIfOoJKy7iUcZse9GC26WVtR5FWHh2G51bc0aZGkRyVX97c0hg1OM7NpUqhColyNXb_ksza8vp_7rbhno7UlkHYCv-ajQhz3BWFLynopMTI8g/s320/breerecipepic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1 cup finely diced carrots</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1 cup broccoli florets<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">2 tablespoons chopped onion<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1 garlic clove, minced<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1 tablespoon olive oil<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1 tablespoon all-purpose flour<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1 jar Alfredo sauce, reserve 1 cup</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">3/4 cup 2% cottage cheese<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1 egg, lightly beaten<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">lasagna noodles, cooked and drained<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><u><b>Directions</b></u>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">In a large skillet, saute the chicken, brocolli, carrots and onion in oil until chicken is no longer pink. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br />Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in Alfredo sauce.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Bring to a boil.<br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened.<br /><br />In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning.<br /><br />Layer as you would a normal lasagna.<br /><br />Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.<br /><br />You may add more alfredo sauce depending on your preference. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Today’s recipe was sent in by Bree Masters.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHyWmKCUzc9dQxAhmRdOL8IYHYA2niQQM6ff_Iw3-iSuAGA2TzzVbbG-fgkyFgshKtGTHetJOZIDbHNfwFodN2782TZNGwdIanIDTva8Obc99OSN8u3Gpi182Vixybfqz7Mwr2YXnsA/s1600/BreePic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHyWmKCUzc9dQxAhmRdOL8IYHYA2niQQM6ff_Iw3-iSuAGA2TzzVbbG-fgkyFgshKtGTHetJOZIDbHNfwFodN2782TZNGwdIanIDTva8Obc99OSN8u3Gpi182Vixybfqz7Mwr2YXnsA/s320/BreePic.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">"I've been cooking since I was old enough to pull a chair to the stove to see. There's a sense of satisfaction in watching people enjoy something I've made. I have a 4 year old stepson who loves to help me in the kitchen. I've found he's more apt to eat it if he knows what's in it, and it helps him develop a healthy relationship with food. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as he does!"</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Would you like to be part of Four A’s and a D? I’m looking for more people to submit their favorite recipes for Tasty Tuesday. It can be any type of recipe; dinner, breakfast, dessert, appetizers, or snacks. Just click the ‘Contact Me’ tab at the top of the page and fill out the form so I can send you an email with more information. </span></div>
<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Signature" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature_zps2008fa31.png" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-63866357794567555222013-01-18T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-18T07:33:24.101-05:00The Vagabond Studio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Meet Shai.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgYLjqU992yigFH6dPOq0PiIxaL0RornLaw1tcoiOnTsx7fwnwD92wY68FW7UI4glo9T5fzR9_sREnU10GCr7-Wn3_ZdEsWOYjuz7S1oQitV7wK_TuHDnE2DjfsYCxK3ZOhE64WnqoQ/s1600/shaiprofile1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgYLjqU992yigFH6dPOq0PiIxaL0RornLaw1tcoiOnTsx7fwnwD92wY68FW7UI4glo9T5fzR9_sREnU10GCr7-Wn3_ZdEsWOYjuz7S1oQitV7wK_TuHDnE2DjfsYCxK3ZOhE64WnqoQ/s320/shaiprofile1.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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Shai is one of my BFF’s and the mastermind behind The Vagabond Studio.</div>
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I get a lot of my creative inspiration from her. </div>
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And parenting inspiration. </div>
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And productive motivation. </div>
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This woman is ahhh-mazing! </div>
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Honestly, I think she has some sort of device that freezes time. Nobody can get as much done over the course of a day as this girl! </div>
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She’s a full-time student, wife, mom, blogger, and Etsy shop owner. </div>
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Last year, Shai was n<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">amed number 7 in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/Top-25-Eco-Friendly-Moms-2012" rel="nofollow" style="color: #219593; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Top 25 Eco-Friendly Moms on Circle of Moms</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Voting is currently being held for 2013’s Top 25 Eco-Friendly Moms. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">PLEASE</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"> click </span></span><a href="http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/Top-25-Creative-Moms-2013" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: 15px;"> to vote for her! </span></span></span></div>
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Her latest feature was<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">in<b> </b><a href="http://eco-beautifulweddings.com/blog/ezine/winterspring-2013/" style="color: #219593; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Eco-Beautiful Weddings Magazine</a>, Winter /Spring 2013 issue. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj032sYnVoZAQUsapHsVmTFVJqzcUPowlKYImZYU-e1wHE1c0uXiTtbZgb_sFQj93msB5VCMXSKHDHybAgpwFYOo2SzHspDHhoJ12BXC20UNtYocYwymV8Kb5S0x9WZ8Sqx37kjlwNGqA/s1600/BouquetCollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj032sYnVoZAQUsapHsVmTFVJqzcUPowlKYImZYU-e1wHE1c0uXiTtbZgb_sFQj93msB5VCMXSKHDHybAgpwFYOo2SzHspDHhoJ12BXC20UNtYocYwymV8Kb5S0x9WZ8Sqx37kjlwNGqA/s400/BouquetCollage.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">How could these beautiful bouquets and boutonnières NOT be a big hit?!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6K8SxFwJK2YguxPBJ6CzDG4-lgz1xG1ZBJmMz8Wx37zFKXcAqTHHP6BwvyIvGkTxu_NzwZ0m39d4Q-1EY5j5o54xTGs5buayPFajpHavlQk9Sbgcwl4C-1gN1oxawFSI7n7kisilsw/s1600/BoutCollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6K8SxFwJK2YguxPBJ6CzDG4-lgz1xG1ZBJmMz8Wx37zFKXcAqTHHP6BwvyIvGkTxu_NzwZ0m39d4Q-1EY5j5o54xTGs5buayPFajpHavlQk9Sbgcwl4C-1gN1oxawFSI7n7kisilsw/s400/BoutCollage.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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She also makes beautiful hair clips!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BwQ0mJkrJS7qq93fc0Puolw672v-9-95RdHRXmb4WI8o__Yd4NlBjGwHWE91z4y2b2CIBcymKE6aAUIEiI_t_3kggZ33fUkF-a996aA0mj1nOZXRUHEChSIVeeTUoaE7l8nXTomQ-w/s1600/HairClipCollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BwQ0mJkrJS7qq93fc0Puolw672v-9-95RdHRXmb4WI8o__Yd4NlBjGwHWE91z4y2b2CIBcymKE6aAUIEiI_t_3kggZ33fUkF-a996aA0mj1nOZXRUHEChSIVeeTUoaE7l8nXTomQ-w/s400/HairClipCollage.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can read more about Superwo....Shai....at her blog, <a href="http://www.thevagabondstudio.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">The Vagabond Studio</span></a>. </div>
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Or if you would like to see more of her handmade goodies, visit her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/thevagabondstudio" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Etsy shop</span></a>!</div>
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<a href="http://beta.photobucket.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="signature2_zpsd85785a2" border="0" height="127" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/amanda_rip/signature2_zpsd85785a2.jpg" width="200" /></a>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-2687259537122650892013-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-17T07:36:06.877-05:00Our Little Matchmaker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is Big A. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2JanaQ-INsWCB2QL9jf4opWzQ9Hfi1y0F3mgxqoVUSp9ukpjPqQj3fb2LnCYyOGhzOHDOsR1aurTTDW_vJOyE9VuS2QvpV90yrJB7nWI0rAkHN2kNVUSyFqmAWBkVBMnsDLQswWq-A/s1600/Annieframed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2JanaQ-INsWCB2QL9jf4opWzQ9Hfi1y0F3mgxqoVUSp9ukpjPqQj3fb2LnCYyOGhzOHDOsR1aurTTDW_vJOyE9VuS2QvpV90yrJB7nWI0rAkHN2kNVUSyFqmAWBkVBMnsDLQswWq-A/s320/Annieframed.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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She’s my oldest daughter. </div>
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She’s smart. </div>
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She’s beautiful. </div>
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She’s creative. </div>
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She’s funny. </div>
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She never ceases to amaze me. </div>
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She’s the reason her father and I met. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHV1ePMsCFFW7WwCkOWlkjJ96aMUDctNCnY35JivJ_SG81_CPaZGXva4k-cqs8w6lGFL9T6oJe-o-yPe3LGm5iUPlJa94IqT6pngi35B5NlMlOaQ6tQnFXg_eI6dO2CWvRJ1_VzcLSA/s1600/MomDadAnnie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHV1ePMsCFFW7WwCkOWlkjJ96aMUDctNCnY35JivJ_SG81_CPaZGXva4k-cqs8w6lGFL9T6oJe-o-yPe3LGm5iUPlJa94IqT6pngi35B5NlMlOaQ6tQnFXg_eI6dO2CWvRJ1_VzcLSA/s320/MomDadAnnie.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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David and I have been together since Big A was 2 1/2 years old. </div>
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I remember the day he walked into my daycare classroom. He was looking for a class for his daughter, who happened to be in the age group that I taught. </div>
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(I think I might have done a fist pump in my head when I found out. Just in case you haven’t noticed, my hubby’s pretty hot). </div>
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We found out a few weeks after Big A started in my class that we also went to the same church. I was new in town, so I hadn’t met a lot of people yet. We have three different worship times at our church on Sunday mornings, so I had never seen him there.</div>
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A few months later, I called D one night to check on Big A because she hadn’t been to school the last couple of days. </div>
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That was all it took. </div>
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We talked for eight or nine hours that night. Both of us had to work the next day, but we didn’t care. We were in our own little world. </div>
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We started dating after that. </div>
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We dated for about 9 months before he proposed to me on Christmas night, 2008. </div>
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We were engaged for more than a year before we got married. </div>
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I consider our wedding day to be one of the most important days of my life. Not only did I become the wife to my soul mate, I also became a mom to the little girl who changed my life forever. I tell her quite often not to forget that I fell in love with <i>her</i> before I fell in love with her daddy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HhO5mP25IGcsbrtjV1pJ14_l63AbU3N9ptZ6xU7uynDS4BBzo0eezG895AUOSHVV8UP4D3UXbYLkZdmoYlS-OBeeWSMiPZOsCG3v-YEIn7qYJkLf2RdqtHnakASJB751_DkpNYiPNA/s1600/sillywedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HhO5mP25IGcsbrtjV1pJ14_l63AbU3N9ptZ6xU7uynDS4BBzo0eezG895AUOSHVV8UP4D3UXbYLkZdmoYlS-OBeeWSMiPZOsCG3v-YEIn7qYJkLf2RdqtHnakASJB751_DkpNYiPNA/s1600/sillywedding.jpg" /></a></div>
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I love our family. We wouldn’t exist without our Big A. </div>
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She’s a comedian. </div>
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She’s an artist.</div>
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She’s a scholar.</div>
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She’s an author.</div>
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She’s a singer. </div>
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She’s an actress. </div>
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She’s a basketball player.</div>
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She’s a loving sister. </div>
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She’s my daughter. </div>
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I wouldn’t trade her for the world. </div>
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-15694397030056942492013-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-16T07:00:13.881-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-19719565850361637942013-01-14T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-14T07:00:01.301-05:00We’re all THAT mom. I can’t take Little A grocery shopping.<br />
<br />
I can’t.<br />
<br />
People look at me and laugh when I say that, but it’s the truth.<br />
<br />
She’s a major screamer. I don’t mean that she’ll let out a couple of squeals every now and then when she wants something. She’s a full-on, ear-ringing, head-splitting screamer. I think she’s somehow a cross between a banshee and a siren. I would be absolutely fine with that and power on through my shopping trip if that was the only thing.<br />
<br />
I think she’s part houdini, too.<br />
<br />
This kid can climb.<br />
<br />
People say, “Just buckle her into the shopping cart.”<br />
<br />
NO.<br />
<br />
It doesn’t work.<br />
<br />
She can climb out of shopping carts, even when she’s buckled in.<br />
<br />
So picture me walking through the grocery store wrestling a screaming toddler while trying to find the things on my list. It’s stressful. It’s hard. It makes ME want to start screaming right along with her. <br />
<br />
I get so many of those <i>looks</i>. You know...the ones that say, <i>“Shut your kid up!” </i>and <i>“Why can’t you control your child?!”</i> and <i>“You are failing at life!”</i><br />
Okay...maybe that last one is a little far out there, but all moms feel that way at least once.<br />
It’s not the looks that bother me. I could care less what other people think of me or my parenting style. Grocery shopping is just stressful for me. Middle A was very easygoing, and still is. Dealing with Little A is like a whole new ballgame.<br />
<br />
My solution?<br />
I ask someone to watch the girls while I go grocery shopping. That turns my hour-and-a-half shopping trip into about a 30-45 minute trip. It’s much easier to get everything on my list, and I don’t have to rush. Not to mention my stress level is waaay lower than when I take the kiddos.<br />
<br />
So on Wednesday while I was grocery shopping (all by myself!), there was another mom there with a little boy who was absolutely done shopping. You could tell he was exhausted and just wanted to go home. They were in front of me in the checkout line. The mom kept giving me these, <i>“I’m so embarrassed! He’s not usually like this.”</i> looks. I knew exactly how she felt. None of us want to be <i><b>that</b></i> mom--the one who can’t control her kids. Honestly though, kids will be kids. They all have their moments. Sometimes we can calm them down, and sometimes we can’t. That’s just life.<br />
<br />
So next time you’re at the store and one of your kids decides to show their less-than-flattering side, just remember....we’ve all been there. We’ve all dealt with it. You’re not the only one. We understand.<br />
<br />
For those few that have the guts to actually put into words what <i>the look</i> has already affectively communicated, just give them a big smile and tell them to have a nice day. Not only will it throw them for a loop, it will also show them that you don’t give a pile of dirty diapers about their opinion.<br />
<br />
So here’s a big<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> THANK YOU</span> to Angela, my brother-in-law’s girlfriend. You help keep me from being <i><b>that</b></i> mom at the grocery store. Even better, you help me keep my sanity.<br />
<br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159436531400192595.post-7688672024600393222013-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-11T07:00:06.938-05:00Book Spotlight: Impossible Compassion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Impossible Compassion</b></div>
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by Edward Mannix</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Genre:</b> Self-Help</div>
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</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<li style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em; text-align: left;"><b>Print Length:</b> 194 pages</li>
<li style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em; text-align: left;"><b>Page Numbers Source ISBN:</b> 1480188743</li>
<li style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em; text-align: left;">______________________________</li>
<li style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em; text-align: left;">Synopsis:</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0.5em; text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"> How do we end suffering in
our own life and on the planet? How do we bring about seemingly impossible
outcomes such as miraculously healing our self from a fatal disease, saving the
environment or ending violence and war?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> In his second book, Edward
Mannix takes on our assumptions about what is possible and impossible for us as
individuals and as a species, and he provides us with a new paradigm and new
tools that enable us to achieve that which was previously unachievable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> The new paradigm he presents
includes two key concepts the author calls metaphysical causation and
interlocking karma. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> Metaphysical causation at
first sounds a lot like the Law of Attraction but ends up being quite a bit
different. According to the author it is not our thoughts that create our
reality, but rather it is our karma or karmic imprints that are projected onto
the movie screen of our life by the powerful projector of our soul. By moving
the discussion away from the potency of our thoughts to something more
difficult to observe - our karmic imprints - the book reveals to us important
hidden aspects of the creative mechanism of life, and offers us the opportunity
to intervene in this causal process in a new and powerful way. For those
readers who have tried the Law of Attraction and found it sometimes effective
and other times ineffective, it is likely that the information presented in
this text will illuminate why those techniques often fall down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> Impossible Compassion
provides a missing link of sorts, helping us identify and change our karmic
imprints through the use of simple tools and processes that fall under the
heading of what the author calls directed compassion. By utilizing our own
compassion to alter the karmic imprints on the film of our soul - which the
book teaches us how to do in specific detail - we can literally re-write the
script of our life, leading to rapid and potentially miraculous changes in our
external world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"> And, while according to
metaphysical causation we each sit at the center of and in some way create our
own universe, we are also all connected to one another and part of each others'
created universes. In his discussion of what he calls interlocking karma, the
author illuminates this critical paradox that is so often misunderstood or
entirely missed by students and teachers of modern spirituality. In so doing,
he gives us further insight into the process of reality unfolding, and it is
with an understanding of interlocking karma that we can see how giving our self
compassion can influence the physical health of a loved one or help bring about
major changes in our collective reality, e.g., ending violence and war. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a;">________________________________</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a1a;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Edward Mannix has been on a
conscious path of personal and spiritual development for over twenty years. He
has practiced Vipassana meditation in a monastery in Burma, travelled to Nepal
to receive teachings and empowerments from Tibetan Rinpoches, and worked with
hidden masters from a number of traditions and geographies, spanning Asia,
Europe and the United States. Throughout his journey, Edward has consistently
focused on a form of practical spirituality – integrating his spiritual
pursuits into ordinary life, not leaving worldly endeavors behind, but instead
using them as a vehicle to go deeper into awakening. While on his conscious
path and prior to becoming an author, he worked in the private sector as a
management consultant and social entrepreneur. He holds an M.B.A. from Columbia
University where he studied Sustainability and Social Enterprise, an M.A. from
The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins
University, and a B.A. in Psychology and Economics from Indiana University.
Drawing upon unique insight and an unusually diverse set of life experiences,
Edward brings fresh perspective to ancient wisdom, and is emerging as an
important new voice in the arenas of philosophy, spiritual development and
personal transformation. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a1a;"> You can visit Edward Mannix’s </span><a href="http://edwardmannix.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">website</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a1a;"> or follow him on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Edward-Mannix-Truth-Compassion/394533197250509?fref=ts" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Facebook</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a1a;"> and </span><a href="https://twitter.com/edwardmannix" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Twitter</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a1a;">.</span></div>
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888793301624933995noreply@blogger.com0