Check THIS out!

Chore Charts

Our family shares the chores around the house, and there is nothing like a new chore chart to help us stay on task. Every few months, I like to find a new one to hang on the refrigerator. I guess we get tired of looking at the same one after a while.

Yesterday, while browsing the blog world, I found this one. It is really cute and its free! Go check it out!




photo by ModEcoKids

I'll Tell You..

In my last post, I asked you to tell me why you blog. Thank you for your responses. I enjoyed reading them. If you are interested, I'll share with you why I blog.

I started blogging, because my friend and college roomie was blogging. After reading her blog for a while, I realized this could be a great way to keep my family and friends updated on the life of our family. You see, we do not live near my parents or my hubby's. I also have had the privilege of living in several states over the years. As a result, we have many family members and friends spread out all over the country. This blog has turned into an easy and wonderful way to show those friends and family members pictures and tell the stories of our life.

As I have perused the many blogs and blog communities in the blogosphere, I have found helpful information, made friends, entered contests, been blessed, and had fun. I've learned about site meters, contests, readership, linking, advertising, and more.

It has been tempting over the last year and a half to allow advertising on my blog (which I may still do) or get involved in time-consuming methods of pursuing a larger readership. I've read some blogs which have a huge following, and have thought about how fun it would be to take that route with my blog, but I don't have the time. Maintaining a blog daily has proven to be a time consuming (and, I might add, an addictive) project.

So, I've had to ask myself, "Why do I blog?" "What is the purpose of my blog?"

Here are the answers I have found:

1. to keep in contact with family and friends who live all over the country
2. to record some of the stories and pictures of our life.
3. to enjoy the community of bloggers who have similar interests and lifestyles.
4. just because it is so fun!

I also have a recipe blog, and here is its purpose:

1. to record in an easily accessible place the recipes I use and like. (There have been occasions when I have been traveling and wanted a specific recipe. I used the computer in the home I was visiting to get the needed recipe from my blog.)
2. to easily share those recipes with others who may have an interest in them.
3. to enjoy the community of recipe blogs where I learn cooking tips and new recipes.

Now that I've mulled it over and written it down, maybe I can keep my blog/computer time to a reasonable time.....maybe :).

Please Tell Me...

Mer over at Life At 7000 Feet features a question each week to which she asks her readers to respond. I enjoy reading the responses she gets, because it's interesting to see what people think about various issues.

Perhaps it was a recent question of hers or perhaps it is a priority/time management conflict that occurs around here quite often, but I've been wondering about my purpose for blogging.

Since I'm pondering this right now, I thought I'd ask my blog friends for their thoughts.

Why do you blog?

Is it to keep in touch with people you don't see very often? Do you do it to showcase your talents and skills? Is it an outlet for your love of writing? Or is it a place to post your photography? Whatever your reason, I'd love to hear why you sit down in front of the computer periodically and publish a post.

I'll let you know more about what's going on in my head in a later post.

A Soap Box

It a rare thing for me to write any kind of commentary on my blog. Don't get me wrong, I have lots of opinions and enjoy an occasional, intelligent, somewhat heated debate. In fact, those who know me well would probably tell you that I pretty much enjoy getting on my soapbox if the need arises.

Its just that I like to keep my blog as a place to report on my little family and keep friends and family all over the country updated. But tonight, I'm going to depart from the norm, go out on a limb and tell you my opinion about something.

I'm tired of men bashing!

That's right. I'm tired of hearing women (mostly on TV) talk about how stupid or childish their husbands are. I'm tired of seeing people around me treat their husbands with disrespect or insinuate that their husbands can't be trusted to do anything right.

I guess one of the things that prompted this post was an episode of "John and Kate Plus Eight." My children were watching this show yesterday when I walked into the room to hear Kate berating her husband and equating his maturity to that of a child. While her derogatory comments were bad enough in themselves, I was especially upset that she was saying them in front of her children. She might as well have sat her children down and told them: "Your dad is not real smart, and he can't be trusted to act like an adult."

I got on my soapbox in front of my children. I told them that Dads are smart people who know what they're doing and that I trust their Daddy to do what's right. I want to be careful that I don't do anything that might teach my children to disrespect or distrust their Dad.

OK. I could go on, but I'll spare you more soap box.

Another thing that prompted this post is the start of a new, special blog. My blog friend, Nan, started a blog entitled, Brag On Your Man. It is the answer to the man bashing trend in our culture. It is a place specifically designated to bragging on our men, to telling the world why we love our men...

Click on the icon above to go over there. Then, start doing the opposite of bashing.

Too Good To Pass Up!

Do you read MoneySavingMom? I have followed her for several months now and LOVE the help she provides for saving money. She does so much work that makes it easy for me to take advantage of sales and coupons. As a result of the mentoring I've received from her blog posts, I have been able to drastically reduce our grocery budget. Its because I believe there is much to be learned from MoneySavingMom that I couldn't let this great offer go by without telling everyone about it.

TODAY ONLY you can get an incredible ebook package from MoneySavingMom.com--over $100 worth of money-saving ebooks, homemaking helps, and encouragement for only $5.97! I can't believe she's offering such a great price and I'd highly recommend you run over here and check it out.

What makes this deal so good is that this ebook package includes the ecourse Supermarket Savings 101--this course alone is worth much more than $5.97 and will teach you how to drastically reduce your grocery bill. If high fuel and food costs are discouraging you and leaving you strapped for cash, you definitely need to buy this ecourse. You'll learn how to cut your grocery bill by up to 50% or more and have fun saving money at the same time!

Go here to read more about this huge sale! Hurry, though, the price goes up tomorrow--get this money-saving ebook package at a ridiculously low price while you can!

A New Friend

Well, I think she's been my friend for about a year now, but I met her for the first time IRL this past month. Mer and I have read and commented on each other's blog as well as emailed back and forth a few times.

It was Mer that suggested the retreat center where we spent a portion of Joel's sabbatical...and boy are we glad she did. I'll tell you more about that in another post.

Anyway, my family met Meredith and her two girls at Focus on the Family's Whit's End. It was so wonderful to meet and then pick right up in conversation. She is a fun person to talk to. It was so interesting to see how much we had in common. Our lives have kind of crossed paths in the past without us knowing it. She and her husband attended the same church in Texas that Joel and I did (they left the year we started there). Her sister married a man from my Mom's hometown. Plus more...It's a small world, isn't it?

If you don't already read Mer, hop on over there and check her out...you'll be glad you did.

Thanks, Meredith for great conversation, kindness, tourist help, etc. I'm glad to call you friend.

It's Been A Year: Time to De-Lurk!

Today marks the first anniversary of this blog. I am so glad I discovered the blogopshere. It provides me with lots of enjoyment, and I have had fun meeting new friends. Thanks to all of you who stop by to visit!

Everyone is always welcome to visit my blog! But I'm a really curious person, and I would love to know who my blog readers are. So in honor of my blog anniversary, I want to "de-lurk"!

A "lurker" is someone who reads a blog, but never leaves a comment. Since I am a very curious person and sometimes curiosity kills me, please help me celebrate my blog anniversary by leaving a comment.

It's not hard to leave a comment, and it doesn't have to be long and involved. Just a note to say "I came"..."I read"..."here's what I think."

This is what you need to do:
1)Click on the 'comment' link at the bottom of the post.
2)Click on 'yes' when prompted to proceed.
3)A 'Leave Your Comment' section will pop up that you can view other persons comments and to type in your own comment text. (Scroll to the bottom to comment.)
4)Type comment.
5)At the bottom of the section is a 'Choose an identity'
6)Click 'Anonymous', OR, if you have a Google account, put in your Google info.
7)Click on 'PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT'...

That's all you have to do! Consider it your good deed for the day: keeping my curiosity from killing me! Thanks for stopping by.

Cuteness! Sweetness!

Two of my hubby's sisters (he has four) have been making bow t-shirts with matching hairbows (pictured above) along with other crafty items for several months now. They have decided to take it to the web. I love their work and want to spread the news to everyone. I wouldn't want you to miss out on the cuteness!

If you have young daughters or buy gifts for girls these are adorable and reasonably priced. You must check it out! Head on over to their blog here. They're just getting the blog up and running, but you can watch the slide show of products. To contact them, email them at bow4aprincess@yahoo.com .

Check This Out!

If you don't already read Tonja's blog, check out this post: Gatherings
I think this lady is a very talented writer. I also enjoy reading her blog, because she is a godly example and because she lives in SE Alabama like I do. This post contains both hilarity and a lesson!

Carnivals, Memes and Mr. Linky

I'm a fairly new blogger and am still learning lots of stuff as I go. I know some of you who read my blog are too. So, go to this article at 5 minutes for moms if you want to learn more about carnivals, memes and Mr. Linky.