FRIDAY (well, Saturday) FAVORITES!

Okay, so this post is a few hours late, but I really want to continue with my Friday Favorites from now throughout the year. I always find such help from other parental reviews on products, and rely on those comments when searching for toys, especially, for my children. I hope that my "Friday Favorites" will help relieve your stress level just a tad and allow you to focus more on the important aspects of this glorious holiday season.

The first product is one we gave my daughter for her 4th birthday. She LOVES being just like her daddy carrying around her very

own Blackberry. It's by Leap Frog, is very educational, and is the perfect size for keeping her entertained at restaurants and in the car.

Another item that makes a perfect gift for a child of ALL ages are the Veggie Tales DVD series.

They are great ways to introduce God's love for us on a child's level, however I always take away an important lesson from them as well. There are many different ones to choose from. We even buy the Veggie Tales Fruit Snacks from the grocery to go a long with them!

FRIDAY FAVORITES!

I'm sorry I have neglected Friday Favorites the past few weeks. As Christmas is so quickly approaching, my plan is to share some of our favorite toys/products from now until Christmas in hopes that it may help you just a little with your shopping. I feel so overwhelmed when going to a toy store with SO many options and products to choose from. I find that other trustworthy parental reviews help tremendously in making my decisions and in simplifying things, so ... I hope to share some of our PERSONAL favorites to help make your shopping just a tad bit less confusing this year!

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Workbench

Recommeded Age - 6 months - 3 yrs
Wilson LOVES this toy (at 13 months now)
I love how long it entertains him and it is also very educational! A gift from Wilson's cousin(s) and they always pick the best gifts to give, and this time was no different!




Another product that is perfect in so many ways for children of almost ALL ages are the CRAYOLA COLOR WONDER products. We discovered these when Ella was probably 18 months old. And she STILL loves them (at 4 yrs of age)! They are GREAT to keep in the car, as they are a lifesaver in restaurants. They make no mess ... the markers only work on the Color Wonder Paper. Crayola makes them in every character your child loves, and also plain paper notebooks for your child to be creative on his/her own.

Sorry the images are blurry.

You can buy these products pretty much anywhere from Target, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, even CVS. However, I saw where Oriental Trading (love that company) is now selling many of the Color Wonder products, and as all their pricing is, inexpensive compared to many other retailers. And if you use your Ebates to order, you receive an additional 4% cashback on all purchases with free shipping of $49 or more. Just an idea if you have other online purchases to make. Sometimes online shopping is so much easier, especially for busy moms with little ones always in tote!

A reminder to sign-up for getting PAID to shop online here ... and remember that I only recommend products/companies that I PERSONALLY know are reputable and trustworthy! My last Ebates check was for almost $70 just for signing in before purchasing!

Birthday Boy (My Friday Favorite!)

I can hardly believe that today I am wishing my sweet little boy a Happy 1st Birthday.

Wilson, you have brought so much joy to us and all our family.

You are a happy, loving, little boy, full of energy, with a funny sense of humor and full-of-life attitude.

You absolutely adore Ella and have begun calling her name.

You follow her around wherever she goes.

Your eyes twinkle when you see her and you tremble with excitement.

As parents, it brings us so much pride and happiness to see the love and friendship you and Ella share.

For this child, I have prayed.

1 Samuel 1:27

You have your daddy's determination and drive, which I love.

You light up my life each and every day.

You, Wilson, are the absolute perfect addition to our family.

I pray each day that you will allow God in your heart, serve Him, be a witness for Him, let Him guide your every footstep and lead you down His path, and bring all honor and glory to Him in all that you are and do.

My son, attend to my words, incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and healthy to all their flesh.

Proverbs 4:20-22

I pray for your wife, and that God leads you to a kind, genuine soul who also loves and serves our Lord.

And I pray that God shows us, your parents, how to teach you His ways.

We already see so many incredible qualities in you and we are so very proud of you.

Each and every day with you is so special and we look forward to all the fun times ahead.

(By the way, today you climbed out of your highchair and onto the kitchen table. You like to give me a nice scare ... several times a day! Can't wait to see what this next year holds - some excitement I'm sure! But that's just one more thing I love about you!)

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord.

Psalm 127:3a

FRIDAY FAVORITES - The Crippled Lamb

I am so excited to share with you my FRIDAY FAVORITES item. The good thing about this product, is that absolutely anyone can enjoy it and benefit from it. Children of all ages, adults, strong Christians, and those that may not have a personal relationship with Christ.


The Crippled Lamb, written by one of my favorites, Max Lucado, is a beautiful book, equally in illustration, content, and spirit. It will warm your heart everytime you read it. As one review read, “It is sure to move even the hardest of hearts.”

This book is a beautiful story of a little lamb named Joshua that is very much different than the other lambs. He can’t run, jump, and play, for he has a bad leg. Because of this, he often feels sad and left out – except when his best friend Abigail, an old, wise cow, is around.

Abigail spent most days telling Joshua, “Don’t be sad, little Joshua. God has a special place for those who feel left out.” But it was still hard, and he often felt alone.

Then, one special night, when Joshua was feeling extra low, God put him in such a special place at the most special time, and little Joshua realized that God has heard his prayer and gave him an answer that will give you chills … and move you to tears! It was then that he understood why he had been born with a crippled leg.

This is a story that, although is more of a Christmas story, can and should be shared year-round. I actually just finished reading it again to Ella, and I just glowed as it sparked a wonderful, meaningful, and in-depth conversation with her.

We have the small board book, which is great for the children right now, however I would love to get the nice hardback copy to place on my coffee table to enjoy the beautiful illustrations and also as a reminder that God has a special place and purpose for each and every one of us. He created each of us differently for a reason and we are all equally important.

Next Time a Sunrise Steals Your Breath or a Meadow of Flowers Leaves You Speechless, Remain that Way. Say Nothing and Listen as Heaven Whispers,
"Do you like it? I did it just for you."- Max Lucado

Friday Favorites

Today I wanted to share with you a product that benefits the entire family! This all really started when I was on bedrest last summer. Having been told that my little baby was coming at only 27 weeks, I was determined to fatten him up as best I could. I did not care how much weight I gained. Wanted to take-in as much protein as I possibly could. I wasn’t able to be in the kitchen cooking healthy meals, though. So, this is what I counted on to get the most nutrients to my baby boy (along with all the wonderful and numerous meals my church family brought to us) …

(You can usually find it in grocery stores near the oatmeal and breakfast bars. I personally prefer the Rich Milk Chocolate flavor. And by the way, remember my Friday Favorites are all personal to me. I am not getting compensated -- just simply sharing what I think is a good product!)

I am not a huge milk-lover, however this stuff I love! And so does Ella. I put about ¼ packet in her milk every morning and evening and I know that she is getting SO many more vitamins and nutrients.

Carnation Instant Breakfast has:
2x Protein of an egg
2x Calcium of yogurt
Extra Antioxidants to support immune system
Extra B Vitamins to convert food to energy
Vitamin A – 45% of your daily requirement
Vitamin C – 50% daily requirement
Iron – 25% daily requirement
21 Vitamins & Minerals in each serving

When on bedrest, I fixed probably 3-4 servings of this each day! I know, that sounds crazy, but it helped me know that I was giving extra and proper nutrients to my teeny tiny baby. One thing I did to mix it up a bit ...

Poor a serving of milk in a blender with ice. Pour in a packet of Milk Chocolate Instant Breakfast. Then add a ½ Tablespoon of INSTANT coffee (must be instant). Blend that together and you have a delicious mocha-like shake.

Instead of coffee, you can add a banana for another different treat. I wouldn’t recommend giving the coffee shake to your children! But think how healthy the banana shake is! And what a fun way to get your children to intake so many nutrients. You can also have them help you make it for a fun parent-child activity.

Happy Friday to all my dear reader-friends! I hope to enjoy some downtime with my family. I have been fighting a bad cold for 8 days now and feel so run down. I feel overwhelmed. Don't we all feel pulled in so many directions all at the very same time?! I still haven't learned that balance of being a good mom, wife, homemaker, friend, and Christian -- all in one. How do you do it?

Don't forget to VOTE! Open that Bible of yours and enjoy God's Word!

Friday Favorites

"Following Jesus shouldn't be just one more thing to do" Jen Hatmaker writes of her book "Out of the Spin Cycle" Devotions to Lighten Your Mother Load.

A few of us are starting a MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) group locally and this is the Devotional Book we are using. It has been the PERFECT book for me. As mothers, free time doesn't come often, and these devotions can be read easily and quickly. Each "chapter" is only 2-3 pages long, yet so much is gained from each word.

So, I just had to share it with you today through my

Friday Favorites

and I would love for you to join along and read with me. You will not be disappointed!

From the Back Cover:

Motherhood sometimes feels like a list of expectations. You may be busy or even overwhelmed. But you are also strong and brilliant. And here's a secret: a lot of those things on your list of expectations are things Jesus never expected you to do on your own.

In Out of the Spin Cycle, author and speaker Jen Hatmaker takes the words and deeds of Jesus, adds the humor of a young mom's life, and offers messages of grace and encouragement. Covering areas such as worry, marriage, priorities, money, and the comparison trap, this dynamic Bible teacher brings Jesus's message alive in short, to-the-point devotionals for your busy life. This is a devotional for you--the woman inside the mom--the Bible student, the learner, the world-changer.

So put aside that to-do list for a moment and discover the ways Jesus can lighten your mother load.

Product Description:

What lists and systems and self-help books have failed to do for young moms in the trenches, Jesus can accomplish blindfolded. Yes, moms are busy, they need a break, and they'd just like a shower. But they are also strong and brilliant and have the power to move mountains. Author and speaker Jen Hatmaker takes the words and deeds of Jesus, adds the humor of a young mom's life, and offers messages of grace and encouragement. She shows overburdened moms forty things Jesus doesn't expect them to do on their own. Covering areas such as worry, marriage, priorities, money, and the trap of comparison, this lively Bible teacher brings Jesus's message alive in a format geared to the short moments moms have that can be allotted to reflection. This is a devotional for the woman inside the mom--the Bible student, the learner, the world-changer.
 
Review:
5.0 out of 5 stars For Any Mom Who Needs to Lighten Her Load!, June 20, 2010

By LifeVerse "Christine" (California, USA)
This review is from: Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions to Lighten Your Mother Load (Paperback)

Jen Hatmaker has written a wonderful book for any Mom who needs to lighten her load! Her new book Out Of The Spin Cycle is the perfect gift for any mom...from the Mom struggling with her newborn baby, to the toddler mom wondering if she'll survive the challenging twos, to the more experience mom...who will enjoy looking back and laughing at her mothering trials and errors. Like a comfortable pair of mom slippers, this book should be right next to her bedside as a daily necessity.

Out of The Spin Cycle has one key theme: less pressure for Mom. These 40 devotionals are centered on something that burdens moms as they are parent these tiny little creatures, delivered as a gift from God, without an instruction manual. I enjoyed Jen Hatmaker's perspective of motherhood, as I was the vice-president of the local moms club, listening to other moms pressure one another to have the "perfect child." While moms are busy scheduling playdates, Spanish lessons, enrichment classes, swim lessons for babies, and a variety of educational programs designed to elevate her child in status, Jen Hatmaker reminds us of the true meaning of motherhood: enjoy your child, as God made him or her.

This is the first Jen Hatmaker book that I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I received an advanced copy from the publisher Revell Books, for review.

FRIDAY FAVORITES

I have another “Friday Favorites” I’ve been waiting all week to share with you! (Remember, I only recommend items that I personally love and feel you can benefit from too.) If you do ANY online shopping, you must sign-up for Ebates!
It’s simple to begin getting CASHBACK on your online purchases from thousands of companies such as …

Target, Ebay, BabiesRUs, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Overstock, Dillards, Hotels.com, Expedia.com

All you do is complete the simple sign-up from the link below,
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=Y6N2opeu%2F8pPLlDOM6u4dg%3D%3D

With every online purchase, login to your account at www.Ebates.com, type in your online store, find additional coupons, and it will take you directly to that store to make your purchase.

You will receive anywhere from 1-12% cashback by check each quarter directly to your mailbox! I just received my check for $68 this week, all for logging into my account before each purchase. I don’t do a lot of online shopping, but most of this came from my few ebay purchases from buying children’s clothing.

Get a head start on your Christmas shopping and make a little extra cash while doing it! Again, you can find many great additional coupons that you can easily take advantage of too! My sister-in-law shared this with me a couple of years ago and I'm so glad she did ... thanks Courtney!

Enjoy getting PAID to shop!!

Friday Favorites

I thought I would try featuring a product that I love each Friday for awhile. These products will be items that are personal to me, products that I feel beneficial to share with you.

Feel free to leave me feedback on any products, if you use them personally, or any likes or dislikes.
As always, thank you for reading and for all your encouraging words.

My Friday Favorite is ...

Minute Maid Premium Kids Orange Juice! Jason and I discovered this a couple of months ago and we love it. It has a ton of additional vitamins including extra Calcium. With a preschooler in the house, unfortunately picky eating comes with her, especially at this age, and sometimes the battle is too tiring to fight. But this OJ she gulps ... along with me and Jason!

If you decide to try it, let me know how you and/or your family like it!

Happy Friday! I'm off to planning Ella's birthday party weekend at our new home!! Busy, Busy!