I admit, I wanted an iPhone.  The operative word there is wanted.  Past tense.

Yes, I still think that they are insanely cool, and I’ve played around with them and I know many people who have one.  I have an iPod touch, which is the same as the iPhone except you can’t call people on it.

But I heard just as many good things as I did bad, and seeings how I’m on my 4th cell phone since last February, I’m now also scared to have an iPhone.  The iPod Touch is taking a beating.  I was given cases for it for Christmas, however, they don’t allow me to plug the cord in when they are on, so half the time I forget to put the cord back on.

Anywho.

The cell phone issues that I have, and trust me, I have them…

I’m currently waiting for the company to send me a new phone.  The smartphone that I have is smart, but makes me feel incredibly dumb, recently stopped working.  I take that back, everything works except people can’t hear me.  That might not be a bad thing for those that don’t wish to listen to me talk on and on and on.  

So I went “shopping” for a new phone and guess what I came across?

The Samsung Omnia.  Now, I have to tell you, I like gadgets.  The more bells and whistles, the better, and honestly?  A phone MUST have a QWERTY keyboard.  

I text.

ALOT.

Between the boy and the kids in my youth group, I probably text more than I talk, and that was before the phone stopped working and the only way that I could communicate was through texting.  And I’m not sure about you, or if you even text, but that whole texting thing where you have to hit the number several times to get the right letter?

I can’t do it.  I think it’s a patience thing.  And it’s not fast enough for me.  Plus, I type all day long, so I know where the letters of the alphabet are according to a keyboard and I actually have to stop and think about what order the actual letters go in.

I know.  I’m weird and pathetic.

But here’s why I like the smart phone and more importantly why the Omnia looks like the phone that could be the replacement for my slightly dead Palm Treo…

It syncs with your PC, whether you’re on XP or Vista, and we’re talking everything… contacts, calendar, text messages, and you know what else?  It comes with the mobile version of office including Word and Excel.  And if you’re busy like me?  The fact that EVERYTHING is in one place is my life saver.  My calendar is with me all the time and it’s on the phone and the computer.  I used to carry a phone and a palm pilot or paper calendar and I was all confused, and that’s just too much to carry.  For me anyway.

Want to know what else?  You can blog from the phone which means that sitting in the doctor’s office or in the car pool line (or in a boring company meeting) you can blog.  What is cooler than that?

Want to know what else I love about the Omnia?  It’s a camera phone, too.  And not just any camera phone.  It’s a 5.1 MP camera contained within so do you know what that means?  I don’t have to carry that honkin’ camera that I own everywhere either.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my camera, but if I can’t tell you how many photo ops that I’ve missed because I didn’t want to take the camera with me.

With the Omnia, everything fits into one nice little package that fits nicely in my purse or pocket.

And as if all of these things weren’t enough, did you know that this phone is affordable?  Which is good, right?  Because we’re not made of money.  At least, I’m not.  I wish I were, but I’m not.

So, here’s the deal.  If you didn’t get a new phone for Christmas that you really, really wanted, or you’re in the market for a new phone, or you just think this phone is freakin’ awesome (because it is), then go and check it out.  

Of course, maybe this isn’t what you’re looking for.  That’s okay.  To each their own.  WindowsMobile.com has a wide selection of phones that can sync with your PC and offer features that anyone on the go could use and benefit from, as well as extensive information on the platform and the many other features that Windows Mobile phones offer.

Go and look into them.

Seriously.

New toys are always fun.

Until next time…

So many people talk about how there is so much cooking and baking involved over the holidays, and while that’s true, you don’t have to stop just because the holidays are over.

I’m WAY late with this review.  Somehow I missed it and it’s probably because I did nothing but cook and bake throughout the holidays but I still wanted to tell you about it because, well, it’s cooking related and I actually made it and people actually liked it.

I’m getting so good at this cooking stuff.  It’s funny.

Well, not really.  Unless I catch things on fire.  That’s funny.  After I have the fire out.

Anywho, one of the things that I made this holiday season was Ultimate Party Meatballs.  I love me some meatballs and Ocean Spray and Heinz teamed up to come up with this recipe and they are GENISUSES.  I’m telling you they are!

Two steps.  Three ingredients.

That’s it!

Not even I could ruin this one.  I don’t think.

In addition to coming up with this fantastic recipe for meatballs, which is a GREAT thing to take to any sort of potluck or eating event that you have to go to (that’s what they are getting at church on Sunday night!) but they put together a website that includes even more recipes and tips for entertaining.  It’s a wealth of knowledge.

Like I said, I actually made these, so you know that it has to be simple, and people liked them.  They’re all still living, too and whereas I once made Mac and Cheese everytime we had to bring a dish, I don’t have to go through all the trouble anymore.  I can just throw them in the crockpot and go or if I need them a little faster, I can use the stove.  (But I’ve learned that if I can avoid the burners, I should!)  The Ultimate Party Meatballs are ALWAYS a hit and I’ve even been asked HOW I make them.  That’s a compliment.

It’s also a shock because I’m not used to people asking ME for recipies.

Earlier this week, I grabbed another recipe off their site for dinner and we feasted on Cranberry-Barbecue Pork Ribs and they were amazing as well.  Even the kids ate them.  I’m telling you.  It’s good stuff.

So, just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean that you have to stop cooking.  Take a look at the site and jot down a few notes.  If nothing else, just know that if you have to throw something together quick or want to try something new, there are alot of great ideas on the site.

And don’t tell my church peeps that I’m bring meatballs…again. 

Until next time…

I’ve said it time and time again, I have the hardest time getting Matthew to read.  I just don’t know what it is.  I don’t understand why my children don’t like to read.  It bothers me.  I thought that perhaps canceling the cable would help push him to read, and while he read more than I thought he would after the cable was gone (read: once) he still doesn’t read like I want him to.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels this way.

A few months ago, I did a review on a book by James Patterson called “The Dangerous Days of Daniel X” which was specifically written by Patterson for boys around the age of 10.  He has a son Matthew’s age and so he knows, as a parent, what it’s like to deal with kids who say there aren’t any good books out there.  That’s what they say.

According to the 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report by Yankelovich and Scholastic, despite 80% of parents wanting their kids to read for fun, most kids claim there aren’t enough really good books for their age group.

I think it’s more of a case of kids thinking that they know it all.  There are tons of books out there and NONE of them are really good for their age group?

Ok. Fine. Whatever.

But Patterson wasn’t ready to roll over and play dead.  (Which, let me interject for a moment.  I can only imagine what Mr. Patterson feels like.  I’m just a book worm who wants her son to read occassionally…he’s an AUTHOR and his son doesn’t want to read?  I think I would have an issue with that.)

Anywho, James Patterson has taken this issue to heart. He knows that one of the main obstacles for young readers is a lack of books kids can truly connect with,  those rare stories that draw you in and keep you reading until the very last word. We  can all remember the joy of a great book from our own childhood; begging to stay up ten more minutes to finish a chapter, then hiding under the covers with a flashlight to read “just one more.” Shoot, there were times that my mother would tell me to go take a shower and I would start the water and then sit and read.  When she would come around and ask me if I was almost done and that I was using up all the hot water, I would quick hop in the shower, get wet and get out, only to take my book up to my room and continue reading.  Patterson has made it his mission to give this experience to children everywhere and instill in them a love of reading.

He’s recently launched a website called ReadKiddoRead.com.  He’s serious about this!  The website lists books by age group and genre for children whether you’re still reading to them or they are reading on their own as well as provides resources for finding book discounts and promotions, features interviews and contributions from authors and celebrities, and even allows members to connect with each other via a Ning community. Providing kids with a love of and appreciation for books gives them something that will remain with them throughout their lives, and this resource helps make that possible. Plus, if anyone can get even the most reluctant readers interested in great stories, it’s James Patterson.

If you have a love for books or a child who does not, it’s definately a site that you should check out and pass along to all of your friends.  Matthew thoroughly enjoyed Dangerous Days of Daniel X that Mother Talk sent us to review, so perhaps when I tell them that James Patterson is behind this site, he’ll want to check it out and have a little faith in it.

Until next time…

My boyfriend, whom, if you don’t follow the main blawg is known as “the boy”, is a veggie freak.

Me?

Not so much.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like green beans and carrots and peas…

I like brocolli if it’s got cheese on it or in soup.

But I won’t voluntarily pick out vegetables, at least I never did until I started dating the boy.  Now I make sure we have veggies at every meal.

Yeah, I know, it’s funny what love will do to a person.  I’m cooking and cleaning, which is something I warned him I didn’t do.

Despite the fact that I am now selecting vegetables and presenting them in a manner in which my children will eat them (not his much younger children, but my children) I’m far from being a Vegetable Champion.

But maybe you’re closer than me.

Want to know what a vegetable champion is?

A veggie champion is a TRUE vegetable advocate or, rather, community members who are committed to children’s health and wellness to submit their brainstorms for a community garden.

So, if you have this idea for a community garden and you submit it and they pick you, (and they are picking 10 people) you get to go on a two-day retreat with Chef Art Smith aimed at learning and sharing tips and tools on planting, harvesting, cooking and eating vegetables with children. These moms will also receive $5,000 to start or maintain a community vegetable garden in their hometown.

If I could keep anything alive, I would so be all over this contest.

Seriously.

But my mother says I’ve not yet “grown into” gardening.  I love to plant things and get a wild hair once a year only to watch it die because God gave me a black thumb.  If I could figure out this whole gardening thing, I would have a garden full of green beans because my FAVORITE thing in the world is fresh green beans, with butter of course.

I also like carrots and ranch dressing.

Which, speaking of, this whole contest?  The one where you can get away for two days with a renowned chef?

Yeah, that one.

It’s being put on by Hidden Valley.  No, not my kids’ school, silly, the makers of the salad dressings.

The ones that I love to use for everything other than putting on salad… like chicken and veggies and the like.

Yeah.  Them.

They’ve created a website called Love Your Veggies which offers parents tools to help children develop a life-long love of vegetables through activities at home, at school and in the community.

And do you want to know why they are doing this?  (I love companies that get involved in something worthwhile!)

They created the Love Your Veggies™ program after a study found that children consumed 23 percent more vegetables when paired with a moderate amount of ranch dressing (2006 study of two Northern California elementary schools conducted by the University of California Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Butte County Cooperative Extension comparing vegetable consumption with Italian and Ranch dressing flavor enhancers).

Yeah, this doesn’t work on my daughter.  She won’t touch them no matter what you cover them with.

So, if you’re a true veggie champion, then you need to go, right now, not later, but right now, and enter to win.  You could be one of the 10 moms that are selected.

And Mom Central?  Thanks for the heads up.

Until next time…

Most people know that 18 months ago, the Lord nudged me in the direction of working with teens. Ok, I’m kidding. He shoved me into the world of teenagers and my life hasn’t been the same yet.

Prior to July 2007, I wasn’t sure what my purpose was. Yes, I was a career woman. Yes, I was a mother. But none of those things seemed to be my calling. (Yes, I know the Lord called me to be a mother, that’s why I have children, but I was, and still am, to a point, struggling to see that.)

But not when it comes to working with the youth group at my church.

There is no doubt in my mind that I am supposed to be working with them and the Lord made that VERY clear December 30, 2007 when He told me to get rid of all the extras and focus on youth ministry.

And now there’s a way that you can share your story with a broader audience with the help of Frito-Lay. Frito-Lay’s TrueNorth™ brand of nut snacks is built on a core belief that we all have inspirational stories to share and to celebrate, and they are dedicating themselves to using that brand to discover, document and share those stories with the world.

TrueNorth is inviting people to submit a story that describes how they (or someone they know) are pursuing his or her life’s passion. One story (and it could be yours!) will be chosen to share with the world in the form of a 60-second commercial aired during the 81st Annual Academy Awards® broadcast on February 22, 2009. The inspirational spot will be directed by Oscar®-winning actress Helen Hunt and the winner will receive $25,000 to help in the pursuit of his or her passion.

Do you know what I could do with $25,000 for my youth group?

There are 15 days left to submit your story and you can find all the details and how to submit your story at True North Snacks.

We all have one.

What’s your True North Story?

Until next time…

I’m on the ball this year.

I am.

Everything is bought.  Most of it is wrapped.  All of the packages are mailed.

And I have 13 days until Christmas.

But then?

Yeah.

I get wind of a new Holiday Gift Guide that’s hosted by Mom Central and I’ve now got even more ideas than I started with and so the Christmas Crazy sets in.

You know the Christmas Crazy…picking up things here and there that you see long after you’re done shopping and long after you’ve reached the budget that you set for yourself this year and have blown past… again.

Mom Central has outdone themselves with their Gift Guide and you can find gifts for every one on your list, including your pets.

Do you buy for your pets?  We do.  Casey is getting two cat toys (that she won’t play with) and Rhoda is getting two dog bones (that she won’t chew on) but we buy them never the less, because the kids would be devastated if Santa forgot the animals.  They even have their own stockings hanging by the chimney door with care.

No matter who is on your list, you’ll find something for them listed within the pages of the 2008 Mom Central Holiday Gift Guide.

What’s more?

They’ve got giveaways.  Oh yes they do!  One each day and they’ve got them going on through the 18th of December, so that’s still six more days!

To be eligible to win the daily prizes, you must register on Mom Central (you’ve done this already, haven’t you?), log-in, and leave a comment on the post. And, if you tweet or email friends about the giveaway, you can earn another entry! (Come on!  You know you’re tweeting and emailing all day long anyway… might as well pass it along!) In order to earn the entry, you simply go back to the Mom Central Review blog and leave a second comment letting them know.

Not hard at all.

After you’ve perused all the great gifts that they have listed, and after you’ve spent even more money that you didn’t have on something that you just HAD to have, then take a minute and sign up for the Mom Central Testing Panel.

At least that way you can be heard after testing things, for free.

Trust me, if you’re anything like me, free is going to look mighty good after the next few weeks and the effects of Christmas Crazy start occurring.

Now go.  Shop.  Be Merry.

and enter giveaways.

Until next time..

I don’t know about you, but I can’t even begin to tell you how much money I’ve shelled out in the last few weeks for Christmas.  I had a budget.  Had is the operative word there.  Although, I guess I still have it… it’s just not balanced.

I would fit right in on Capital Hill.

I digress.

I learned of a rewards system that would, well, reward me, for spending money.  I’m good at spending money, so a little kick back would be nice, ya know?

Priority Rewards Club is a great site that you can easily register for, make purchased, rack up points and then redeem them for travel, hotels, gift certificates and so much more.

I know what you’re thinking… but no, really, there are tons of stores associated with Priority Rewards Club that you would actually shop at.  Seriously.  Even the Apple Store is listed there along with over 200 others.

Included also are restaurants and other assorted online establishments.  You’re going to spend the money anyway, right?

So really, you might as well just sign up and get a kick back.

And redeeming the points… wanna know what you can get?

What can’t you get might be easier to spell out.  Points can be redeemed for airfare, hotels, car rentals, magazines, DVDs, cds, and, oh yeah… for brand merchandise as well such as vacuum cleaners, an other assorted products.

It’s a big list and there’s something for everyone.  I was able to pick up a few extra gifts based on the points that I earned, just by shopping like I normally would.

The website is very easy to navigate as well and takes just a minute to sign up.

And… you can redeem PCR points to pay for their holiday travels and to buy gifts and make charitable donations or you can keep earning new points to use down the line by using a Priority Club Rewards Visa card from Chase and shopping at stores like Target and Wal-Mart where purchases made earn them points.

Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to spend so much on vacation this year in traveling?  Wouldn’t it be nice to walk into a store that you frequent often with cash in hand, that’s just free money?

I know.

I’m making plans already.

Take a minute right now and sign up for an account at Priority Rewards.  You’ll thank me for it, really.

One of the biggest things I worry about with my children is that they will think life mirrors what they see on television.  As a huge High School Musical Fan, I know that my nine-year-old thinks that high school is going to be much like she sees it portrayed on the big screen.

It was a hard lesson for me to learn when I got to high school and realized that it wasn’t like it was on Beverly Hills, 90210 or even Saved By the Bell.

Elisha Cooper, author of several children’s books, felt the same way that I did so he did something about it.  He spent 8 months in a high school in Chicago chronicling the lives of eight students - 6 seniors and 2 juniors.

Wanna know what he did after that?

He wrote ridiculous/hilarious/terrible/cool: A Year in an American High School and depicts high school life from big dates, proms, friends, college applications and more.  In essence, he’s giving you their lives as they really unfold and not something that Hollywood has created.

The only thing that I can say about this book is that it is a must read.  I particularly enjoyed it as it wasn’t made up; it was real.  I’ve also encouraged each of my youth group students to read it, because they, too, are caught up in how the media says it’s going to be.

I was able to follow the lives of these eight students and remember what high school was like for me and be thankful that I’m past all of that.

The book is wonderfully written and a fairly quick read.  It’s very easy to picture yourself with these students as they go through their school year and while I found it difficult to follow along at first, after a chapter or two, I didn’t miss a beat.

Elisha hopes that his book portrays real high school life, with a different and more nuanced perspective that kids will find valuable and in my opinion he hit the nail on the head.

If you have a emerging or high school student, I highly recommend that you pass this book on to them, or encourage them to read it.  High school isn’t as much as a disappointment when the expectations aren’t set as high.

Also, be sure to check out Elisha Cooper’s Website for more information on this book as well as the others that he’s written.

So we all know about my children and their lack of a Christmas list.  It sucks.  And because I’m a single mom and shopping with two children in tow is impossible, guess what I do?  I shop online.

I’m sure you find that hard to believe.

But I do.

I’ve been doing it since I moved out of my parent’s house the second time and the kids and I found ourselves in Richmond with no support system, meaning I had no baby sitter so that I could go shopping.  My co-workers deemed my office Santa’s Workshop as I would have everything delivered to work and would tuck it away in boxes in the corner and then as I got closer to Christmas, I would lock myself in the conference room for days during my lunch hour until I got it all done.

Christmas Eve, I would load everything in the trunk of my car, and after the rug rats would drift off to sleep with vision of sugar plums dancing in their heads, I would go out to the car and lug everything in.

Pure genius I tell you.  And luck.  I’m so grateful that I’ve always worked for companies who are family friendly and understood my situation.

I still shop online even though technically I could go out and shop during the day while they are at school, but let’s get real.  It’s cold outside.  And there are crazy people out there.  And I would have to get dressed and make myself look presentable.  So unless the deal is crazy good, I’m not leaving the comfort of my home.  Period.

But, becuase I’m kinda thrifty, I shop around comparing prices and making sure that I’m getting the best deal.  I have a budget for both of my kids and if I can save some money on what I buy them, then I can buy them more.

I love the thoughts I have in my head.

So, when I heard about SHOP.com, I was elated!  SHOP.com is a comparison shopping site specifically designed for women that allows you to shop from over 2,000 merchants all in one place. Purchases can be conveniently made using one universal “shopping cart” to buy everything at one time or by clicking over to participating merchants’ sites.

Did you catch that?  They show you who has what and for how much and then?  They take it one step further.  You can add what you want, from some other site, to your SHOP.com shopping cart and make ONE purchase.

Is that not awesome?  Seriously.  They have over 20 million products.  Do you think that I could find something for these children there?

You bet I can!

Additionally, SHOP.com provides expert advice, shopping tips, and articles, while giving easy ways to save money via price comparison tools, coupons, and rebates.

Um hello?  SHOP.com, where have you been all my life? I swear I spent over 2 hours and you don’t want to know how much money tonight while perusing the site.

So, if you’re stressing, trying to save a buck or two, or just want to see a REALLY cool shopping website, I highly recommend that you get yourself to SHOP.com now.

You can thank me later.  (Or just ask me for my address and purchase something from there and send it to me.  Whatever works.)

Until next time…

Everywhere you turn now-a-days, young girls are continually bombarded with the wrong messages.  From TV shows to music, I shutter to think what my 9 year old deems right and wrong.  I’ve had to limit what she watches on TV because, come on now… do I really want her to think that high school should resemble 90210?

I think not.  (And it stinks, because I actually like that show.)

Dannah Gresh, apparently saw the problem, too, and wanted to offer a solution.  A best-selling Christian author, Gresh is debuting her first mainstream book series for tweens - Secret Keeper Girl.  This four book Christian series explores issues relevant and age-appropriate to today’s girls ages 8-12.  I even passed it on to some of my younger youth kids at church.  In this socially advanced world, it’s awesome to know that Secret Keeper Girl is there as a guide to younger girls as they transition into modern teenagers.

The book itself is appealing to young girls starting with the cover and then later on inside with the rules for being a secret keeper girl in the back.  There is a website that accompanies the series which allows the girls to find recipes for food mentioned in the story.

And the really nice thing about these books?  Each of them has a “Girl Gab” Q&A section.  It helps lead to conversations between mothers and daughters about making the right decisions in life… and I think that’s cool.  I have no earthly idea how to start conversations with my children short of barking that they shouldn’t do something.

So if you want a book and website that will encourage your daughter and help them dress modestly and not succumb to peer pressure, I highly recommed The Secret Keeper Girls.  Samara loved it and even went through her plumber’s test this morning, a feature on the website, to make sure her jeans weren’t riding a little low.

While it seems a little on the funny side, nothing made me happier than to know that maybe, just maybe, she’s listening.

Until next time…