Offline

Just wanted to update everyone.  My daddy went in for a heart cath today and they found 7 blockages.  They have him scheduled for open heart surgery in the morning.  They are expecting to do a quadriple bypass.  I'll be offline and at the hospital with my mom.  Please say a prayer for all of us!  God Bless you all and I'll be back just as soon as I can!

Driving Tips for Mom, From a Mom

As the winter is progressing, the mild North Carolina temperatures are moving my focus to spring and summer travel.  Safety is a must in everything we do, but when you are driving your precious cargo (family) around, it is extra important!  Here are a few tips that I hope you will think about next time you are behind the wheel.

Do not even think about driving if you are tired!  Sleep deprived drivers cause way too many accidents, and cost us too many lives every year.  There are plenty of rest areas out there where you can pull in, stretch your legs and rest.  Also, if more than one person in your vehicle is a licensed driver, share the driving responsibilities.  My best advice on this is to get a good night sleep before you take off on your trip.

Be Alert!!  Be pro-active when you are driving.  Pay attention to everything that is going on around you.  Listen for sirens and check your mirrors often.  Things going on behind you and beside you do affect you!  If you hear a siren, or see flashing lights behind you, carefully make your way to the right and allow them to safely pass you.  In emergency situations, every second counts!  Imagine that every emergency vehicle is coming to help you or your loved ones.  Think about how you would feel if your family member was waiting for emergency assistance and the responder was slowed to react because YOU were blocking their way!

Make sure you are prepared for your trip.  Check and double check that you have everything you will need for your journey.  Pack an emergency kit for your vehicle that includes jumper cables, flashlight, extra batteries, a first aid kit, extra water, blanket and even snacks and a cell phone.  Even cell phones that do not have a monthly plan can call 911!

Don't rush the trip.  Slow down and enjoy the drive.  Speeding is just too dangerous!  When you are speeding, you have less control of your vehicle.  In 1985, the church van I was riding in was involved in a wreck while we were on a retreat for the teenagers.  A truck driver who was SPEEDING lost control of his truck and slammed into our van and flipped it over!  It rolled three complete revolutions before it came to rest on the roof!  This accident, caused by a speeding driver cost the lives of three wonderful people, and changed the lives of the rest of us forever!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
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Diamond Candles: Light Up My Life Review & Giveaway

My husband and I are both candle lovers. I have lots of them all over my house. Most of my candles are the small votive candles that I have been purchasing since my college days. Finding a candle that has a nice scent and a good throw can cause me lots of problems. I want a candle that enhances the smell of the room. Since I am not using the candle for light purposes, if the scent does not carry, it is not worth the price.

Over a year ago, I heard about Diamond Candles in a blog post. I learned that they were soy candles, which I prefer! They also offer something that is very unique! Every Diamond Candle contains a ring, buried in the natural soy wax, that is worth between $10 and $5,000! YES...I did say up to $5,000.

Being allowed to review this candle is such a thrill for me, because I have been actively entering every giveaway I could to win one! Diamond Candles offer 20 scents and one unscented candle, and if you check out their facebook page you can see some of the beautiful rings that some of the candle owners have found. I have been burning my candle for a while now, and I have not reached my ring just yet. I will update this post with a photo of the ring once I reach it!

Want to win a Diamond Candle of your very own? There are 30 candles up for grabs in this awesome giveaway. Simply enter on the simple rafflecopter for below for your chance!! Don't delay! The giveaway ends on the 27th!!

Sister Schubert's Makes Dinner Complete Review & Giveaway

Growing up in the South, we had rolls, biscuits, or corn bread with almost every meal.  As I have grown up, while I still enjoy bread on occasion, it is not an every meal occurrence.   We generally eat some type of bread on special occasions!  When my family was offered the opportunity to review some Sister Schubert's rolls, we were excited about it. 

We have been purchasing the Sister Schubert's Parker House Style rolls for a while now, and this time, we were trying out something new.  We were looking to try the Mini Baguettes and the Soft Pretzel Rolls.  It took quite a while to actually find them in the store, but we were finally successful!    We were able to snag a bag of each! 

We tried the Mini Baguettes first!  They were delicious!  We enjoyed them with a nice Italian dinner and they completed our meal.  They had a nice crispy crust and such a soft delicious center.  Perfect to enjoy alone or to dip in the sauce or in some olive oil!  We enjoyed these so much more than any other brand we tried, and we WILL be purchasing them again!

The Soft Pretzel Rolls were the other item we tried.  I was not sure what to expect from them, but I am so happy I tried them!  The crust is a little crisp, but it is not thick, so you get to enjoy more of the tender inside!!  Since the bag can be resealed, I baked a few the first time and used them for ham and cheese sandwiches.  They are the perfect size, and they complimented the ham and cheese.  DELICIOUS!  We have already used the remainder of this bag and have purchased more. 

There are many delicious types of Sister Schubert's rolls to choose from.  Which type of roll looks most appealing to you?  Just answer that question in the easy rafflecopter form and you could win a coupon to try a package for FREE!

Blog Dare Day 18 - Something at home that serves no purpose.

OK, I have to admit, I looked all around our house to figure out what to post about.  I was just about to give up when I realized what I needed to post about!  We have a fireplace in the office/TV room and it serves no purpose!  When we bought the house, we were told NOT to use real wood or even gas logs in there because the chimney and the floor of the fireplace is NOT made for use.  It is made for looks.  HUH?  Does that make sense to anyone?  Why in the world would you place a useless fireplace in a home?

I love the mantle place that is above this fireplace, it is beautiful, and I use it!  The rock wall that surrounds the fireplace and the stoop below is decorative, and I like looking at it, but it holds no use either.  HOWEVER...my hubby and I are about to change all that.  We found an electric heater to slide inside our fireplace.  Within a few weeks, we will have heat coming from that blasted fireplace!  WOOHOO!

What item is useless in your house?

Blog Dare Day 17 - The first time I saw...

When my first husband and I divorced, I was left the single mom of a toddler, carrying a full load of debt, and feeling all alone in the world.  My daughter and I moved in with my parents, and I devoted every moment of my life to my daughter.  I had no interest in dating, and was certainly not looking for a husband.  Just when I wasn't looking, the Lord placed my soul mate into my life.

My soul mate(Chefy) lived in Washington State and I lived in NC.  We were far apart, yet we became so connected, it was crazy.  On his second visit to NC, I decided to introduce him to my daughter.  We were a package deal, and she was THE factor in whether I would continue with him, or go it my own way.  The first night they met, she crawled up in his lap and "read" to him, and she stole his sandwich when he got up.  Those were good signs!  The next day, we went to the beach, and while at the pool, my daughter was standing on the side of the pool and she cried out, "Catch me Daddy!" and she leaped right into Chefy's arms and hugged him.  The look on both of their faces was priceless!  I knew from that moment that we were meant to be a family.  She found her daddy, I found a hubby and soul mate, and the three of us became a family!

Blog Dare Day 16 - I convinced my daughter to...

My daughter is pretty much the typical teenager.  Just like every one of her friends, she enjoys playing on her computer, listening to music, sleeping late, and leaving her room a mess!  I have talked with the other moms and we have decided that they must teach procrastination in middle school!  My daughter is a good student, but if she gets bored, she does enough to get by.  She can be a straight A student, and it makes me upset when she fails to apply herself.  Her least favorite subject in school is science, and she swears that it is because she does not understand it.  I think it is because she doesn't want to, because it is not interesting to her.

At the beginning of the school year, all 8th graders were instructed that they must complete a Science Fair Project, and that it would be half of their grade for the second quarter of classes.  I heard complaints from my daughter, and I knew she would procrastinate.  We had a long talk one night about how she could do better in school, if she would only apply herself.  Then I just told her flat out that I did not want her to end up like me with regrets.  That was the first time I ever really talked about what I regretted.  I wanted to be a teacher, but I got so bored in high school that I didn't follow my dreams, or my heart.  I just kinda stumbled around instead of going in the right direction.  I never went to college to become a teacher, and I have regretted it ever since.  She has that dream too, and I don't want her to have the same regrets I do.

After our conversation, she really changed, she started putting more effort into her classes, and she put together a great science fair project, and she WON for her class!!  Her grades are great, and when her teachers signed her up for her freshman year classes, each teacher signed her up for the honors program!  Yes, I am one proud mama, because I convinced my daughter to apply herself and give everything in her life her all!

The Rebound is coming on Blu-Ray on February 7th!

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO FIND LOVE!

 

 

 

 

Academy Award®-Winner Catherine Zeta-Jones and Justin Bartha Star in the Charming Romantic Comedy Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD February 7

 

 

Spend Valentine’s Day cuddled up with a captivating comedy, and learn that age is just a number with Academy Award®-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones* (No Reservations, Chicago) and Justin Bartha (The Hangover, National Treasure: Book of Secrets) in The Rebound, coming to Blu-ray and DVD February 7 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

 

 

Upon discovering her husband’s infidelity, Sandy (Zeta-Jones) and her two kids move from the suburbs to pursue a new life in the big city. There she meets Aram (Bartha), a local coffee shop employee whose wife only married him as a means to getting her green card. The two strike up a friendship which eventually evolves into something more. But it isn’t long before they’re faced with the big question - “Is this real or just a rebound?”

 

 

Arriving just in time for Valentine’s Day and featuring electrifying chemistry between Zeta-Jones and Bartha, The Rebound also features fantastic supporting performances from Lynn Whitfield (The Women, Madea’s Family Reunion), John Schneider (“The Dukes of Hazzard,” Lake Placid 2) and music legend Art Garfunkel.

Disclosure:  This information was given to me from Think Jam.  No compensation of any kind was recieved!   I just wanted to pass the information along!