Free Book Giveaway!

You know I get really excited when I see a book giveaway! Well, this week Brian Lee is giving away a brand new copy of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Be sure to visit Brian's blog to get all the details of this giveaway. Thanks Brian!!

Going on Vacation?

A few years ago, Pete and I went on a company trip to St. John, US Virgin Islands. We were so excited to be going…I mean really, how often do parents get to go to a tropical island without the kids!

We got to the airport and boarded our plane only to find out that we had to deboard because there were mechanical problems. Ok…gladly! I didn’t really want to fly in an airplane that wasn’t safe! Lol! We ended up being bumped to First Class which was really nice.

After flying all day…and I mean all day…we finally arrived on St. Thomas around 10pm. We were supposed to arrive about noon. It was raining cats and dogs and we had to catch a water taxi to get over to St. John. When we arrived at the resort, we were greeted with Rum Punch and cashews. We had already missed the big welcoming party with all the wonderful foods and drinks…we missed all the entertainment…in essence, we missed our first day of vacation!

Now, this was a company trip and everything was paid for so there was no way we were going to complain. All this did make me wonder though…what kind of recourse would we have if we had paid for this trip ourselves? Vacations are expensive and it’s not unusual for something to go wrong…it’s just the way it is!

Looking into travel insurance is not a bad idea at all. TravelSafe Insurance is a company that has been providing travel insurance for over 35 years. They offer policies that cover inclement weather, medical evacuations, terrorism, trip cancellation/interruption and more. I would think that travel insurance would be a necessity if you are traveling to another country. I would feel so much better about having the insurance…I’d be able to relax and enjoy my vacation…and that’s the important thing! Lol!

***This is a sponsored post.***

Weekend Reflection

Another good week here Up the Hill!

Pete had two tests this past week and he did wonderfully on them. He's so smart...I really don't think I could take in all the info he is taking in and I certainly wouldn't be able to do well on the tests! He's really smart!

We started reading Treasure Island this week. We are also putting together PowerPoint presentations about different pirates. Jake asked if he could do three pirates! Uh...YES!! I love when my kids get excited about learning!

Judi called! It's always nice to talk to my dear friend!! I've missed her!

I started reading Kite Runner as part of a reading challenge...well, actually, I signed up for 3 reading challenges! lol!! Scroll down to see the ones I've signed up for....

I won a book from Deena! Fun!!

My house still looks like a drug dealer's den....now it smells like a landfill....I need an extreme home clean out or something! lol!!

I also found out that two women from our church have been diagnosed with cancer. One has breast cancer and will be having surgery on Monday. The other lady has cancer that has spread throughout her lymph system...she is terminal and I'm praying that God will show me exactly how I can minister to her and her family. Please keep these two women in your prayers....

ok...the smell is getting to me so I'm ending this time of reflection....

Visit more WR over at Judi's blog!

Travel Bloggers Needed

Here's a great opportunity for travel bloggers to practice their writing skills and earn some money!

HotelsbyCity.com is looking for bloggers who are "in the know" about their cities. HotelsbyCity.com is one of the most visited sites by people who are planning trips and looking for hotels.

If I were a travel blogger, I would certainly give this a try! I mean really, you will be writing about what you love and getting paid...how can you go wrong? Not only are you being paid but you are honing your writing skills and getting exposure! Neat!

Social Networking Is Fun!

As I was visiting Manila Mom, I came across this MyBlogLog Community Exchange List. I have to admit, I'm may be a tad addicted to MyBlogLog because I have discovered some of the neatest blogs. If you too like to discover neat blogs then you should participate in this fun adventure! lol!


It's so easy to do:

1. Join all of the MyBlogLog communities on the list below.
2. Copy the list and paste in on a new post on your blog.
3. Write a brief paragraph above the list to explain the game.
4. Add 2 or 3 more MyBlogLog communities to the list and publish the post.
5. To be added to this list, leave a comment below, including the url of your post.

The MyBlogLog Community Exchange List:

Successful Blogging Tips Join MyBlogLog
Make Money Online Join MyBlogLog
Kyle’s Cove dot Com Join MyBlogLog
GoldCoaster Join MyBlogLog
Affiliate Programs Join MyBlogLog
The Junky’s Wife Join MyBlogLog
GoldyWorld Join MyBlogLog
BetShopBoy Join MyBlogLog
IndiaPRBlog Join MyBlogLog
ShanKri-la Join MyBlogLog
HomeMom3 Join MyBlogLog
Ryan Shamus Join MyBlogLog
Kassper Join MyBlogLog
Punto Fape Join MyBlogLog
Earn Money on the Web Join MyBlogLog
Making Money Through Internet Join MyBlogLog
Chronic Headache, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Join MyBlogLog
Free Stuff Join MyBlogLog
House Hunting Join MyBlogLog
Hot Buzz Join MyBlogLog
Earn Online Join MyBlogLog
Ageless Beauty Join MyBlogLog
Philippine Trip Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Author Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Family Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Community Join MyBlogLog
Manila Mom Join MyBlogLog
Pinoy Network Join MyBloglog
Blog Corner JoinMybloglog
SFtopics Join MyBlogLog
AnitoKid JoinMyBlogLog
Up the Hill Gang Join MyBlogLog
Who Let the Dog Out Join MyBlogLog

Have fun!!

I Need a New Watch Band

A long, long time ago, when Pete and I were first married, I received a watch that would become my most favorite watch ever. In fact, I’ve tried to wear other watches over the years but they just don’t cut it!

This wonderful watch that Pete gave me is a Gucci. I wore it for several years and then something horrible happened. One day I looked down and saw that my beloved watch was hanging on my arm by a thread…really, I mean just a thread! I was so glad that I had noticed the shape it was in because if I had lost my watch that would not have been pretty!

So here I have a watch that has a tattered band…seems like a pretty easy fix, right? Well, folks, just let me tell you that NO….it’s not an easy fix when the watch is a Gucci! You see Gucci Watch Bands are not like the average ol’ watch band and replacement bands for my watch have not been easy to find.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to find just the watch band I need for my most favorite watch over at Watchband.biz! They have a ton of different styles so I bet they have one that will work well for me.

Now, I’ll bet I’ll be able to replace my bands only to find that the watch itself no longer works! Lol! I’m crossing my fingers….

***This is a sponsored post.***

Joel Siegel

I remember watching Joel Siegel on Good Morning America. Obviously, I watched a long time ago because I had no idea he even had cancer! 63 is too early to die....

Friday Link Love

I have been traveling here and there throughout the land of blogs and these are just a few of the ones I found. Enjoy!!

Pearls of Wisdom---The first post I read at this blog was one with beautiful photos of Angel Mama's pizza dough and all the fixin's for pizza. I found that her other posts are just as lovely as the pizza post.

The Rocky Mountain Retreat---All I have to say about this blog is FUN, FUN, FUN!!

Rosetta Rants---Join the Translator as he brings us lots of neat and uh...interesting info from all over the world. You'll learn something new...really, you will!! lol!

I'm Not Just a Mom...I'm a Home Mom---This is a neat blog chocked full of neat things! Be sure to check out the posts listing giveaways...we all like those!!

Puss Reboots---Lots and lots of great book reviews here! Feel like joining a Summer Reading Challenge...well head to this blog!

The Birds & The Beads---Isn't that a clever name!? I love visiting Lavendar because I can tell she is so creative and I love her photos. Her bird photos make me long for my own little feathered friend!

Go visit Shelly....the one I stole this idea from.....

Moving?

So, you’re moving across country??

This has been one of the things on my “list of things I don’t want to do” for some time now! Mainly because the thought of having to arrange all the packing and moving. I mean really, how do you find long distance moving companies when there are so many out there?

Well, there is a company called Service Network that will help you find just the right moving company. You will be assured that the company they recommend will be one with a good reputation and will provide you great service. Service Network has also put into place a dispute resolution process that helps customers if they come across a problem during their move. Now that is a great service if you ask me…it’s reassuring to know that your problems will be addressed!

***This is a sponsored post.***

Sad News....

This is going to be one of the most pitiful posts I will ever write. It saddens me to have tell you all that Pete did not get an iPhone. He is doing well after this horrendous let down he has experienced and we are hoping that soon his dream of owning an iPhone will come true. We just have no idea how this dream is going to come true but…we’re still hopeful nonetheless!

….sigh…..

WoooHooo!! I Won!!

How completely cool! I won this week's book giveaway at Deena's! I'll be receiving Veil of Fire by Marlo Schalesky and this sounds like a great book. I can't wait to get it in the mail. This is one of the books that will kick off Cook's Communications "Sizzling Summer of Fiction" reading campaign! That sounds neat too! There is also a book group guide so maybe I need to invite a few friends to read this along with me! Sounds like fun!

Make sure you visit Deena's to sign up for next week's book. It sounds great too!

And thank you Deena for the book!!!

Need to Replace An Appliance?

Have you ever had to replace a big-ticket appliance….and do so quickly??

We have been fortunate that we haven’t had that happen yet…of course, as soon as this is posted I’m sure something will explode! Lol!!

Well, it has been said that summer is one of the main times that refrigerators need to be replaced. This makes sense because as the temperature rises the refrigerator has to work harder…in turn, the compressors start to break down. Now, you can replace the compressor but a lot of times it’s just easier to go ahead and replace the whole refrigerator.

So where do you start? Let’s say you are interested in Kenmore Refrigerators. You can hop in the car and drive around to all the stores in your area and shop for just the right deal…or…you can do your research online using Krillion. With Krillion, you get real “actionable” results. This means that after you get your search results, you will be able to hop in the car and go straight to the store and buy your new refrigerator!

How easy is that?!

***This is a sponsored post.***

Want Some Free Transformer Movie Passes?

Look at this neat promotion I found out about earlier today! You can get 6 FREE Transformer movie passes and a $250 Visa card! How cool is that?? Click on the banner below to read the details and grab your free passes!!

My boys have always liked Transformers. For years, the Transformer aisle was where they both would head! Their love for these toys started early. I remember when Jake was just a wee little guy, he would go around singing the Transformers theme song…well, he sang his own version which went “Transformers, robots in the skies!”. Cute!

Needless to say, my boys are getting very excited about seeing the Transformer movie. Pete has sent us several e-mails from work that have a Transformer the movie trailor included…gee, Pete do you ever do any work?! Lol! The sending of these e-mails makes me think that Pete is excited too! I think this would be a wonderful night out with the boys…Fun!

July 4^th is the big day……

Preschool Science

Remember me saying that I was going to be teaching a Kindergarten Science class this year at our local homeschool co-op? Well, I’ve been moved to Pre-School Science now….so the lessons I’ve put together are a little too advanced for my littles! Soooo…I am starting over. And really, that’s ok because I love putting together lesson plans.

I’m going to start by finding some books. I want to read a story about a science topic and then do an easy craft project. I would love to find some books that actually tell a story rather than just tell about the topic. I have one book for the four seasons….it’s about four puppies who grow and as they grow they notice that the earth around them is changing. In comes a wise ol’ squirrel that tells them about Winter…and then Spring…etc.

Do you have any book recommendations for me??

Relocating

Pete used to be a manager at Radio Shack. There was a time several years ago that we considered relocating so Pete could manage a larger store. The company had several openings in Texas and in Florida that kind of looked promising to us…of course I didn’t want to move at all but I was willing. At the time, I didn’t know about companies that helped you with your relocation…I was quite overwhelmed with all the work that I thought it was going to be….sigh….I also figured we would be spending some time in an apartment and that meant that we would need storage and I wouldn’t really be able to set up my home. An apartment would have been temporary. The whole event was quickly becoming a complete nightmare to me!

We ended up not relocating so my nightmare didn’t come true!

Now I know about the services moving companies offer to people relocating! If we ever do need to move, I’ll be calling on a moving company and I’ll be using the expertise of their relocating professionals…because goodness knows, I would have no idea what I’m doing! And what if I needed auto transport and international shipping? Well, the relocating professionals can help with that too!

I think I could handle a relocation now!! Lol!!

***This is a sponsored post.***

Twig

A couple of nights ago, I finished reading a wonderfully delightful book to Belle. It is called Twig and was written by Elizabeth Orton Jones, a writer and illustrator of several children’s books. Belle absolutely loved the story but more than anything, she loved the illustrations. I have to agree with her…they were the kind of illustrations that make you smile! I was originally drawn to the book because of the sweet illustration of Twig on the front cover. I had no idea we were going to be jumping into a story that was both magical and full of many opportunities to talk about “life lessons”.

Twig is a story about a normal little girl who lived in the city. The backyard was her world and the birds, an old ice wagon horse and a cat were her friends. One afternoon she finds a tomato can and thinks it would make a wonderful home for a fairy. So she turns it over and places it by the one and only dandelion in the backyard.

A bit later in the day, Mrs. Sparrow brings an elf to meet Twig and that’s when all the fun begins!

Because both Belle and I loved this neat little book, we’ve decided to read Jones’ other books too! We’ll be reading Big Susan next…

Here’s the list we’re going to read through….

Children’s Books Written and Illustrated

Ragman of Paris and His Ragamuffins, Oxford University Press, 1937.

Minnie the Mermaid (with Thomas Orton Jones), Oxford University Press, 1939.

Maminka’s Children, Macmillan, 1940, reissued, 1968.

Twig, Macmillan, 1942, reissued, 1966.

Big Susan, Macmillan, 1947, reissued, 1967.

Little Red Riding Hood (reteller), Simon & Schuster, 1948.

How Far Is It to Bethlehem?, Horn Book, 1955.

My Dog Has Fleas...

Scritch, Scritch, Scritch….

That’s the sound of my little dog Milo scratching because he has fleas. I’ve tried the flea repellent that you put between the shoulder blades but it doesn’t seem to work well.

So where do I go, other than the very expensive vet, to get the information I need? Well, earlier today I found out about The Flea Control Guide. This site is exactly what I’ve been needing…it’s chocked full of information about dealing with fleas!

I guess our next thing to try is flea collars or maybe I will try a natural remedy…that sounds more like what I would like to do!

***This is a sponsored post.***

Quick and Scrappy Log Cabins

I have been working on cleaning off my craft table so I can actually work on it and have the room I need. Because I am easily thrown off task, I decided to take the scraps that were cluttering my table and create these little scrappy log cabins. That way I cleaned and created at the same time...completely fun! I'm still working on my table though.....I know you all surprised! lol!!

I found the tutorial for my scrappy log cabins over at Craft Actually. Her scrappy log cabins have a Christmas feel to me...I like them a lot and I usually don't dig the typical red and green theme....

I would love to see any that you all make!

Thursday Thirteen...Rubber Stamp Edition

Lately, I've been wanting to carve some rubber stamps. Here's my list of what I want to carve:

Gus' Gang stamp w/dog
a Rat
a Dacshund
an Octopus
a Robot
Spirals
a Hedgehog
a funky J and B
Great Job! stamp
mushrooms
a Cup of Coffee
a Monster drawn by one of the kids
a Monkey!

Cliffside Malibu Drug Rehab

I went to middle school with a guy who ate crickets and drank lighter fluid. Really, I did! Everyday, we would have a break from school and all the classes would go out to the kickball field. Some of us would play kickball, some of us would sit around and gossip and then there was one of us that would catch crickets, eat them then take a swig of lighter fluid. Sadly, this guy was very popular and this brought him even more fame!

Fast forward quite a few years. Are you wondering what happened to the cricket-eating, lighter fluid-drinking guy? Well, he’s been in and out of jail several times and he is not in great shape! Surprise, surprise…he is addicted to drugs in a big way. I think he had a rough life growing up and certainly has had a rough time as an adult…but he is an adult now and it’s time for him to make a change. I just hope he knows that….

There are many places he could go for drug rehab. If I could pick a place for him, I would send him to Cliffside Malibu for treatment. The facilities there are just beautiful and I think the peaceful atmosphere would be good for him. He’s an athletic guy so I know he would really enjoy the workout room! Going through drug rehab is not a vacation though…it’s hard work. The staff would work with him to develop a program designed specifically for him. He would be counseled and encouraged and if he’s willing he would recover from his addiction to drugs.

It would make my heart glad to see him get the help he needs. Other than eating crickets and drinking lighter fluid, he was a pretty cool guy!

***This is a sponsored post.***

Book Awards Reading Challenge

Really...this is the last challenge I'm going to join...maybe! lol!! This one takes place over at the Book Awards Reading Challenge blog and the theme is award-winning books. You have a year to complete 12 books and there are prizes! I'm going to throw in one extra book 'cause it's a "skinny" book!

Here's my list:

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint - Brady Udall (Spur Novel of the West 2002)
Gilead - Marilynne Robinson (Pulitzer Prize 2005)
The Inheritance of Loss-Kiran Desai (NBCC Award 2006)
Eucalyptus- Murray Bail (Miles Franklin Literary Award 1999)
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood (Arthur C. Clarke Award 1987)
Life of Pi - Yann Martel (Man Booker Prize 2002)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin -Louis de Bernières (Commonwealth Writer's Prize 1995)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon(Costa/Whitbread 2003)
Bel Canto - Patchett (Orange Prize 2002)
Miss Hickory - Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (Newberry Award 1947)
The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields (Pulitzer Prize 1995)
Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen - 2007 Alex Award
and
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices - Paul Fleischman (Newberry 1989)

Wordless Wednesday...Pirate Tattoo

Introducing Aldo!

Oh my goodness gracious! Look at this sweet little hippo baby...he's so ugly that he's cute!

Arm Chair Traveler Reading Challenge

Yes...I'm going to participate in another reading challenge! lol!! This one is hosted by A Life in Books and you can find all the details here.

Here's my list for this challenge:

Caribbean
The Kite Runner (Afghanistan)
The Cross on the Drum (Caribbean)
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Jerusalem Vigil
Amy Carmichael

Read Together Challenge

Jennifer over at Snapshot is hosting the "Read Together Challenge". You can read about all the details over at Jennifer's blog...and she is going to give away prizes too!! WoooHooo!! Isn't she a nice hostess!? I am really excited about this challenge....I have not been reading as much as I normally do and I miss it. I also love reading to my children but I find that I don't read to them much in the summer. I guess we all just caught up in other things....

So, we're going to be reading Treasure Island together as a family...in fact we have already started! I have several fun projects planned for us and I am having the kids put together Power Point presentations about pirates. I'm also trying to think of a game we can play with vocabulary words from each chapter...something like a "Mother May I" type of game works well here but I'm ready for something new! lol!

Forums

I have recently discovered that I enjoy forums.

I think it’s the quick conversations that are really drawing me to these forums. Sometimes, it’s just nice to go in and start a thread about a topic and sometimes it’s nice to just comment on a thread. Of course, I have a lot to learn about forums and what the proper etiquette is when posting. I know it’s easy to offend people because it’s hard to read someone’s tone….I guess that’s why so many emoticons are used!

Recently I have found a forum called Qoo Forum . This is a neat forum because, after 50 posts, you can start earning shared revenue from your Adsense ads. To me this is neat because I can make a little bit of money while I’m doing something I would be doing anyway! In order to participate, you need a Google Adsense account and publisher’s id number.

This particular forum has many different topic areas. I’ll probably be hanging out in the “Women’s World” a lot. There’s a parenting section and a section on beauty. And then there’s a Food section, tv shows section and of course, internet marketing. I can see where it would be really easy to sincerely make comments in all those forums!

***This is a sponsored post.***

StoryNory

When I was over at My Education Junction, I saw this neat little widget in the sidebar. I was thrilled to find that the link led to a wonderful site called StoryNory which has a huge selection of free audio stories for children!

Stories like these are good when you're schooling more than one child. As you work with one child, the other can be listening to a story instead of tearing down the drapes or ripping up the carpet....it's a good thing!

Pete Needs to Golf

Along time ago, before wife and kids, Pete would enjoy quite a few games of golf with his buddies. He hasn’t played golf in ages and in fact, I think he may have sold his golf clubs because they are not in the closet anymore!

I wonder if Pete would like to start playing golf again…I wonder if it would be a good stress reliever for him. You know he’s working full time and is in the accelerated nursing program at our local college so he does have a lot on his plate but I wonder if playing golf would be nice. We all need a break from things don’t we?

I’ve heard that Titleist golf clubs are the “Cadillac of clubs” so I think Pete deserves a new set of these! And of course he would need a new golf bag too…and shoes…and we can’t forget gold balls. Now I’m sure the boys would want to play along with him and this would be great! Pete has always said that we should teach our children to golf well so that they could take care of us with all that money they would win! I think that’s a great idea….though, I’ll be honest, it would be a treat to have the kids out of the house for an afternoon so I could clean out their room! Lol!!

***This is a sponsored post.***

Free Movies!

But not in my area...darn!

I was over at My Education Junction and she had linked to a post written by Play At Home Mom
She has created a link list for movie theaters that are offering free family movies through the summer!! Hopefully, those of you outside this little East TN area will be able to take advantage of these cool programs!

We'll just keep hitting our local Blockbuster and library!

Packages to Send

I am falling way behind on mailing packages out.

I think it would be much easier to get things in the mail if all my packing supplies were more organized. Right now, I have a few things stuffed here and a few things stuffed there. Do I have any pretty tissue paper to pack our GUS Boxes (care packages we send out to families who are grieving the loss of a child) with….well, no. I don’t think I have any but who knows! And what about packing tape…I know I don’t have that because the kids got into it! What would be nice would be some bubble wrap to wrap the books in so they wouldn't get dinged...

What I need to do is have a plan…set up a staging area where I could keep all my packing supplies and then keep an inventory of my supplies. When I run low, I will know and be able to order more. Then people won’t be waiting a gazillion years to get their GUS Boxes!

Now, I just need to figure out where I can chisel out some space!!

***This is a sponsored post.***

Mesothelioma

There’s not a day that passes by without one of those commercials about mesothelioma and I’ve always wondered about what is mesothelioma and why it’s such a big deal….and why lawyers are looking for “you or your loved ones who are suffering from mesothelioma.”

• These are some quick facts I found last night:

• A type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos

• Malignant cells develop in the mesothelium which is the protective covering around our organs.

• Can show up 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.

• Predominantly shows up in the pleura around the lungs.
  

A little of a year ago, my MIL died after being diagnosed with lung cancer. She had never smoked. I know that non-smokers can develop lung cancer but it’s not as common as it is in people who do smoke. This quick research I did last night makes me wonder if my MIL was misdiagnosed. Now, hear my heart, I’m not thinking in this direction because I think we need to take legal action (which is obviously popular since the commercials are all over the place!). Besides, if there was a misdiagnosis, it wouldn’t have changed the course of treatment or even the outcome…this event occurred exactly how God planned it!

I do wonder….I guess I’ll ask her when I see her in Heaven…..

Handbags From Newspapers

I always like to find new ways to use items...repurposing is cool! This video is about a group of women who decided to take old newspapers and create handbags. I wonder what is done about the ink coming off the paper and what if these handbags get wet?

Light A Candle For Jessie

I meant to post this last night. At that time, my prayers were that Jessie would be found alive and that her baby would be well too. Those of you who have been following this story know that her body was found and that her boyfriend has been arrested.

My prayers now will focus on her mother and the rest of her family. Dealing with the loss of someone is terribly hard...I can't even imagine how one copes with the fact that some other person has murdered your child. It's just terribly sad....



grab your banner over at My Education Junction.

Dog Days of Summer Book Giveaway!!

Cool! I came across another book giveaway!! This one is over at A Peek At My Bookshelf. On August 24th, Deena is giving away a $10 gift certificate to Christianbook.com. Weekly she is also giving away a book. All you have to do is visit her blog and leave a comment. Also be sure to leave a comment for each weekly book giveaway.

Thanks Deena! This Giveaway is very generous of you!!