5 Minutes for Mom is Giving Away Win $300 of Free Dairy Products from Horizon Organic!

5 Minutes for Mom is giving away $300 worth of FREE dairy products from Horizon Organic.

All Horizon Organic® dairy products are certified organic and meet the strictest USDA organic standards. That means they're produced with no antibiotics, no added growth hormones and no dangerous pesticides. And we're fussy about taste. All of our products are as delicious as they are nutritious.

Want a chance to be the lucky winner of the 60 gift certificates for FREE Horizon Organic dairy products (approx $300 value!)? Just visit 5 Minutes for Mom for details.

I won at the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway!

Wow, I was pleasantly surprised to have received an email saying "You Won!" :)

I won a book “Humor Me, I’m Your Mother!” by Barbara Johnson from Kim at Pressing On Toward the Goal I'm so excited--it sounds like a fun book! Thank you Kim! :)

Then, as if that wasn't enough, I received a 2nd email saying I won an Arbonne Sampler Bag from Stacey at The Truest Thing! Thank you Stacey! :)

I really had a lot of fun during the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway. I hope you did too.

Winners of My Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway Are...

Thanks to everyone who participated! I was truly amazed at how many giveaways there were! I even found some great new blogs that I bookmarked and look forward to reading more of!

Winner of the Cello In A Box Gift Pack is Annie from My Life as Annie!

Winner of the Kat's Coffees & More Coffee/Dry Mix Pack is Denise from The Knitting Den

Thank you again to everyone for stopping by this week. :)

5 Minutes for Mom is Giving Away a 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV!

Can you believe this? 5 Minutes for Mom is giving away an Insignia® 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV!!! This incredible prize is valued at $799.99 and is courtesy of Best Buy.

Oh how my husband and our children would love this!!!

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win, just visit 5 Minutes for Mom. They'll announce the winner Friday morning, August, 17th.

Thank you for the Anniversary Wishes!

THANK YOU LADIES!!! I appreciate all of your well wishes so very much!

Well, when he got home last night, I let him do all of his normal things (go to the bathroom--it's a long ride home LOL, get changed, say hello to the kids, sit relax, etc.).

When it was truly clear to me that he didn't have a clue, I said to him "Oh, Happy Anniversary".

He looked at me with a blank stare and then replied with a question: "of our first date?".

To which I replied and said "No, not our first date! Our 21st Wedding Anniversary".

He then looked away momentarily, did the figures in his head, gasped as he threw his hand over his mouth in shock, and then said "Happy Anniversary".

I forgave him--what else was I going to do? Sigh, such is life!

Thanks again Ladies! I appreciate it!

Win a New Template at Splat Designs!

This would be so great to win!

Thankful Thursday 7/26/07

Today, on this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for:

21 years of marriage! TODAY is our wedding anniversary, even though hubby hasn't yet remembered.

My children--I love them more than I can possibly ever say.

That the Lord protected my 3 children during their week at church camp last week.

For all of the staff and everything they did to make church camp so awesome for my children!

That the Lord has protected my children on the bike rides and walks they've taken.

American Soldiers/Military and the extreme sacrifices they have made and continue to make each and everyday so that I can live here in a free country with my family.

For computers and the web that allows me the opportunity to try to supplement my husband's income and communicate with other ladies at the same time.

For BLOGS and all the wonderful ladies who run them and all the help and support they provide to others through their blogs.

For the cooler weather we've had so often lately--I love it!

That all of my homeschool reports were received at the school AND they were approved!

For the birds--I just love to watch them and listen to them.

For this "Thankful Thursday" activity and the fact that it forces me to see the blessings God gives.

If you'd like to participate in "Thankful Thursday" or just read other lists, visit Sting My Heart.

Today is a Special Day!!!

Today is our 21st Wedding Anniversary!

I thank the Lord for these years together, I really do. But, if only my husband remembered, it would be so much nicer!

Wordless Wednesday 7/25/07

This is the picture of a wild turkey that my husband woke me up to show me about 3 weeks ago. (I'm glad he woke me up!) This turkey is in our backyard because he found birdseed on the ground that had been knocked off from my bird feeders, which are about 3-5 feet away from him to the right, but are unseen here in this picture. I snuck out into the florida room and took some pictures of him before he noticed me. It was so cool to hear the gobble-gobble sounds he was making and to watch him scratch the ground to kick up the seeds! I was surprised to see just how "powerful" his legs/feet are!

To see other Wordless Wednesday participants, click on Wordless Wednesday

Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway

I'm so excited to be a part of The Dog Days of Summer Giveaways which started today! What is it you ask? Well, Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer is hosting this fun-filled link-fest which is basically a very FUN way for you to win tons of FREE stuff from so many bloggers!

I have 2 prizes for the giveaway! The first is the below Gift Pack from a business I'm with, Cello In A Box which includes: Cello Gift Bags (one pack is perfect for a baby shower and the other is a fun autumn variety pack), Snowflake Gift Box and Bow Set, 2 packs of Gift Shred to fill the cello bags, and a Gifts made from the Heart pamphlet that has over 50 easy gift ideas that you can make in minutes!


The second is from another business I'm with (ok, another shameless plug LOL) , Kat's Coffees & More which includes: Parmesan Pepper Dinner Roll Mix, 3 Pods (each pod brews a full pot) of coffee in the following flavors--Blueberry Cobbler, Macadamia, & Cinnamon, and 5 individual packs of Instant Coffee in the following flavors--Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Caramel, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Raspberry Vanilla, & French Vanilla.


All you need to do to be entered into my drawings is to leave a comment. I will pick 2 winners--one for the Gift Bag Pack and one for the Coffee/Dry Mix pack. Please leave your preference in your comment. The winners will be randomly chosen on Friday, July 27, and will be notified over the weekend. You MUST leave a working email address in your comment (it won't be published) in order for me to contact you if you win. ***You do NOT need to have a blog to enter, but you DO need to live in the continental U.S. to receive my prizes. Thanks so much and enjoy! :)

For more exciting giveaways, go to Rocks In My Dryer for a list of all the other participating bloggers.

Love for Parker! Join in Giving the Love!

Isn't he precious? Just look at that face! What a sweet, sweet boy!!!

Melody over at Slurping Life is running Love For Parker during July 23 - July 27. Are you all ready to show lots of Love For Parker and have a chance to win one of many unbelievably fantastic prizes? Then head on over to Melody's blog to learn more about how you can help!

"Parker is the youngest of six children. He is 2-1/2 years old. Parker was born 6 weeks early, weighing a whopping 4.8 pounds, with chronic lung disease, underdeveloped upper airway, tethered spinal cord, Atrial Septal Defects (2 holes in his heart), an imperforate anus and an extra chromosome on his 21st pair...Down syndrome."

WOW! I cannot even begin to imagine how this family is dealing with all of this!!! Please visit Slurping Life to read more about Parker and the different ways you could help him and his family. And above all, please PRAY for Parker!

Dog Days of Summer Giveaway!!--Fox and the Hound 1 & 2

There is this great contest going on over at The Pumpkin Patch blog and you better hurry and enter before July 27th when she'll pick a random winner!!! It is super easy to enter for your chance to win the above The Fox & the Hound 1 and 2 DVDs!

Ahhhhh, Yes--Getting Back to Normal!

Well, the kids have been home for a little over 48 hours and all is good...

As I sit here to type this, My 12 and 11 year old sons are here in the living room (where I am) and they are using their Dad's old keyboards--on LOUD! Each keyboard is playing a different pre-programmed song--along with each boy adding their keystrokes and sound effects to it as they try to "out play" each other, my toddler is whining/crying because he wants a turn on the keyboard, 2 of the dogs are wrestling/playing just 2 feet away from me, 3 cats have taken turns walking/crawling over me and my keyboard, my daughter just snuck in the front door and ran past me as she is hiding from her younger brother who is still running around outside looking for her, my husband was cooking chicken outside on the grill but just walked in saying the grill ran out of propane and the chicken is only 1/4 of the way cooked, and I just finished giving my toddler a bath because he decided to play in the toilet...am I forgetting anything? Oh yes--I'm so glad the kids are home and things are back to "normal"! :)

WAHM's, Too Busy To Market? Here Are 3 Tips

by Debbie LaChusa

One of the biggest challenges work at home mom's face is time management. Finding the time to get it all done, with the demands of business and family, can be a big challenge.

This is especially true when it comes to marketing. In fact, marketing is usually the first thing to get put on the back burner, when a work at home mom gets busy.

Is Lack of Time Making it Difficult to Market Your WAHM Business?

After all, if you're swamped with sales and clients, marketing isn't usually your top priority, right?

Well, actually, marketing should always be your top priority. It belongs right up there with servicing your clients.

Because if there are two things that will make your business successful for the long run, it's happy satisfied clients (they buy more and they refer their friends) AND a marketing system that continuously fills your business with new prospects.

So how do you stay on track with your marketing, when you get bogged down with running your business and tending to the needs of your family?

Here are 3 Tips to Help You Stay On Track With Your Marketing

Tip #1: Make sure you have a Marketing Plan.

When you have a marketing plan, you don't have to re-invent the wheel every time you need to implement a new marketing activity. All of the "heavy lifting" is done when you create your plan. This makes implementation much more efficient.

Tip #2: Create a Marketing Calendar

In my 10stepmarketing System, we create a marketing calendar where we map out all of our marketing activities for the year. This calendar becomes the roadmap for the year and is an easy way to stay on top of the marketing you've committed to. It effectively becomes your marketing "to do" list.

Tip #3 : Schedule Time for Marketing Activities

Schedule time in your calendar, day-timer or PDA for all of your marketing activities, just like you schedule time to meet clients, pay bills, and pick up your kids from school.

By scheduling time, you make your marketing a priority and eventually doing your marketing activities will become a part of the way you do business.

Consistent Marketing Equals a Successful WAHM Business

Has your busy schedule as a work at home mom made it difficult to stay on track with your marketing? If so, it's only a matter of time before your lack of marketing starts to have a negative impact on your business.

Take some time this week to create a marketing calendar. Then schedule time for your marketing activities, just like you schedule time for everything else in your business and family life.

Abide by that schedule and I think you'll be amazed at how easy it is to stay on track. By the way, you can use this system to better organize your family duties as well!

© Copyright 2007 Debbie LaChusa
Debbie LaChusa feels blessed to be a work at home mom who gets to spend time with her family, do work she loves and earn a great living. She founded 10stepmarketing and 6FigureWorkAtHomeMom to help other working moms do the same. To see a free "Tribute to Work At Home Moms" video and register for free WAHM tips, visit http://www.6FigureWorkAtHomeMom.com.

Article Source: The WAHM Shack Article Directory

THIS ARTICLE is Free for reprint only if it remains in its entirety, the Author's Resource Box AND our Article Source Credit Url are included, and ALL links remain intact.

They are HOME!!! :)

I am so grateful the kids arrived back home safe and sound--Thank you Lord! They were all safe during the week and all 3 of them said they had a fabulous time! The most difficult thing was all 3 of them needed to take turns as they were telling me about all the things they did during the week--things they ate, awards they won, games they played, songs they sang, swimming in the pool, the condition of the bathrooms they used, etc.

I could not sleep when they were gone! I slept maybe 3 or 4 hours at night and it usually wasn't consecutive either. I'd sleep for an hour or an hour and a half, wake up and be awake for 2 hours, then go back to sleep and so on. Last night was the first night in the last week that I actually slept!!! My stomach was also in knots all week, in addition to the few days prior to them leaving. It's all better now that they're home though!

Ok, now that they are all home, time to unpack their stuff and start on the marathon of laundry that awaits me!

Wordless Wednesday 7/18/07

LOL, he can make the silliest faces sometimes!

To see other Wordless Wednesday participants, click on Wordless Wednesday

One Legged Cardinal!

My only hobby is to feed the birds/wildlife outside, and I just love it! I really do enjoy all the visitors we get that frequent our birdfeeders.

We have a few different male cardinals that come to the feeders, and I just love their vibrant red color. The most male cardinals we've ever seen at once was in our yard...3 of them...it was just beautiful!

One bird that comes quite regularly is a male cardinal that only has one leg! I don't know what happened to him or when, but it is quite amazing that he does so well for only having one leg! I think things like this one-legged bird are really fascinating to watch. I also think it is impressive that they can still thrive and function as they go out all day long to find food, water, shelter, etc.

I missed them BEFORE they even left!

Well, 3 of my babies went off to church camp this morning! :( :( :(

It is the first time for my one and only daughter...in fact this is only the 3rd time she has slept somewhere else other than home...once at a friend's house and once at our friend's house when I had our youngest baby, and now...camp...for 5 days and 4 nights!

This is the third year for my 2 middle boys...they really enjoy going, although when they leave, it is always a "bittersweet" feeling. This is most likely their last year too since one boy is moving up and next year will qualify to be in the "youth group" at church, which will mean he'll only be able to attend the "teen week" and no longer the "junior week". And my other boy will more than likely not go since his older brother won't be there (they are 1 year apart and are more like twins than anything!).

So, I'm glad all 3 of them have this opportunity to go, but it is has been tearing me up and just killing me inside! My stomach has been miserable for the last week as I approached this time and now it is doing loopy loops at 100 mph! It is about a 3 hour ride to get there and is in a different state, so those two things don't help make this any easier on me LOL. ;)

It is just myself, my 6 year old, and 17 month old at home (with no car :( ) and my eldest 16 1/2 year old is working full-time hours this summer. I have a lot to do in my house...cleaning, organizing, etc., but this feels so incredibly strange!

Oddly enough, I almost cannot stand the quietness!!!

So, my 6 year old & 17 month old and I got busy right after the kids left and made them some cards with special drawings for each of them and quickly got them in the mailbox for today's mail. Hopefully, the kids will get these pictures/notes by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.

We have this ongoing joke in our home...my 11 and 12 year old have a dog they've had for almost a year. His name is Barney and he is a dachshund/basset hound mix and he is a pain in the "you know what"! Well, lucky me, I'm in charge of this demon dog stupid mutt stubborn thing called "a dog" until they get back. He is the most high-maintenance dog I've ever had and truly is a pain in the neck...most everyone agrees as we verbalize this on a daily basis!

Well, as a joke (because my middle son at camp needs to laugh or else he'll do more crying), I wrote him a "Ransom Note" for his dog, LOL. They'll all get a kick out of it LOL. I've included our pictures, drawings, and Ransom note below for your viewing pleasure! (CLICK ON BELOW PICTURE FOR A CLOSE UP)

Here are our "nice" notes to the kids:

Annual Rocket Launch

Last night was our annual rocket launch at our church. The weather was absolutely perfect, thank you Lord!

The winners are decided by random choice...the person in charge of the rocket launch is very fair about it and makes sure the winners are not the same ones year after year. :) He hides a special color ribbon inside some of the rockets, and when each rocket is launched, the ribbons pop out and if it is the right color, that child has won.

This year they let the girls participate, as this event is usually only for the boys. My daughter won 2nd place and my 2nd youngest son won 3rd place! Here are pictures of my children with their rockets (unfortunately one is very blurry, but I cannot take another picture of him until he returns home from camp!):

Thankful Thursday 7/12/07

Today, on this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for:

My children--I love them more than I can possibly ever say. They mean EVERYTHING to me and I am so grateful to have them in my life!

That the Lord has protected my children on the bike rides and walks they've been taking.

American Soldiers/Military and the extreme sacrifices they have made and continue to make each and everyday so that I can live here in a free country with my family.

For computers and the web that allows me the opportunity to try to supplement my husband's income and communicate with other ladies at the same time.

For the cooler weather and the BEAUTIFUL breeze that is blowing today!

For the gorgeous blue, sunny sky!

For the bird's peaceful songs that sing outside.

For my husband's patience and diligence as he is still trying to fix his van so we can have 2 cars, and that he has NOT given up!

For all the volunteers who are working everyday this week to make our church's Vacation Bible School a big success!

For all the kids who have attended this week at our church's Vacation Bible School!

For our window air conditioner and that it has been working so well!

For this "Thankful Thursday" activity and the fact that it forces me to see the blessings God gives.

If you'd like to participate in "Thankful Thursday" or just read other lists, visit Sting My Heart.

Wordless Wednesday! 7/11/07

It's just like a cat to jump into the infant carseat and hangout isn't it.

To see other Wordless Wednesday participants, click on Wordless Wednesday

Win a NeatReceipts Scanalizer & Reduce Paper Clutter!

Wow! 5 Minutes For Mom has this awesome contest going on and they are giving away 10 (yes 10!) NeatReceipts Scanalizers!

The NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is a scanner and software solution that helps you organize your paper. Receipts, bills, medical forms, business cards -- everything. It scans, analyzes and organizes your papers and stores everything in a database on your PC. You can scan your child’s artwork and date it by month or year and store it forever! You can also scan recipes or articles from magazines and then sort them and search for them by title or categories that you have assigned.

I have never heard of this before but am so intrigued by it! I'd love to be able to scan my kid's drawings and then be able to share them with my family who is scattered all over the US! :)

Want to buy one now? They have even offered a discount to all 5 Minutes For Mom readers when you purchase the Scanalizer from their site in the month of July. Use code 5Minutes at checkout, and save $20 off the already reduced price of $199!

Homeschooling Family Needs Help–Homeschool Ministry Opportunity

As a homeschooling mom, I was touched by an email I read that told of a fellow homeschooling family who is in need and I wanted to post this information here for other people to read and possibly see this as an opportunity to help them. I do not know this family at all, but my heart immediately began to ache for them.

The Estes family, owner of Hands and Hearts, have seven children. Their youngest, Noah, who is almost a year old, has some major health issues. He is on a feeding tube right now, and their insurance does not cover the cost of his formula, which is about $25 a day. Also, as I read their blog, there is an entry saying as of 7/6, this poor little babe is back in the hospital undergoing a long list of tests as they attempt to diagnose the problems he is experiencing.

MANY other Homeschool publishers have gotten together to offer some beautiful FREE products to everyone who makes a donation of $27 to the Estes Family. The family gets 100% of the money and you get a huge list of great products! It is only offered until the 13th of July.

There are a number of free gifts for you if you choose to make a donation. The link is http://www.chirotoons.com/benefit. If you are unable to make a monetary donation (or in addition to making one), PLEASE uplift this little one and family in prayer. Also, feel free to post this on YOUR blog for added exposure for the Estes family.

Wordless Wednesday! 7/04/07

This is my eldest son this past winter. It was his 1st tractor WITH a plow and he plowed driveways with. It was a proud moment for him. Checkout the full bucket of snow hanging over him!

To see other Wordless Wednesday participants, click on Wordless Wednesday

Free 4th of July Ebook packed with Goodies!

With the Fourth of July holiday coming up quickly, I just wanted to share some great sites with you that have all sorts of fabulous Craft ideas and terrific Activities for everyone:

http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_4th.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/july4/

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/fourth_of_july_theme.htm

Also, as a special treat, I am giving away a FREE ebook called A Family 4th of July Celebration! It is filled with all kinds of great Recipes, Crafts, interesting 4th of July Facts, and Stress-free Party Planning Tips!

You can download it here:

http://www.thewahmshack.com/fourthofjuly.pdf

To save this ebook to your computer, right-click on the link and choose "Save Target As".

This is a pdf file, so you'll need a pdf reader to view it. Most computers already have this, but if yours doesn't, you can download Adobe Reader for free at http://www.adobe.com

Enjoy & have a very SAFE 4th of July!

Family Games/Activities!

I mentioned before that I have an Article Directory on my work-at-home mom (wahm) website and I just love to read all the articles that get submitted. This particular article jumped out at me because it sounds like so much fun! I hope some of you will enjoy it too. :)

5 Tips to Make Your Life More Fun by Christine Louise Hohlbaum

Are you working too hard? Not spending enough time with friends or family? You probably could use more fun in your life! Here are five fun games to invite more laughter into your day:

1.) The Hat Game

What you need: hat, three or more players

Age group: 2 and above

How you play: Each person takes turns wearing the hat. Whoever wears the hat has to sing a line of his favorite song. See how fast you can play the game!

2.) The Chocolate Game

What you need: timer, goggles or glasses, hat, 2 oven mitts, winter scarf, bar of chocolate, knife, fork, plate, four or more players

Age group: 6 and above

How you play: Each player takes a turn putting all the items on (including the oven mitts!), then trying to cut the bar of chocolate with the knife and fork. Allot about 30 seconds for this on the timer. When the timer rings, it is time to take everything off and hand it to the next person to try.

3.) The Dictionary Game

What you need: dictionary, pens, paper, four or more players

Age group: 6 and above

How you play: Each player takes a turn choosing one word that no one knows. All the other players write down what they think the meaning is or a funny alternative and use it in a sentence. The dictionary master reads everyone’s definitions, and then it comes to a vote. Whoever gets the most votes wins.

4.) Hide the Bunny

What you need: stuffed animal (we use a pink bunny), three or more players

Age group: 18 months and above

How you play: One player hides the bunny somewhere in the room while everyone else closes their eyes. The other players have to search for it. Whoever finds the bunny first gets to hide it next!

5.) Sardines

What you need: at least five players

Age group: 6 and above

How you play: This game is a hide-n-seek spin-off, but everyone wins. Darken the room. One person hides and the others seek. As each person finds the hidden person, he or she stays with the hidden person until the last person finds the entire group. The object is to stay as quiet as possible until the last person joins everyone else.

Laughter truly is the best medicine!

Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of DIARY OF A MOTHER and SAHM I Am: TALES OF A STAY-AT-HOME MOM IN EUROPE, is a parenting humorist, motivational speaker and overall curious person who can’t stop asking questions of other people and the Universe. Subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.diaryofamother.com

Article Source: The WAHM Shack Article Directory

***THIS ARTICLE is Free for reprint only if it remains in its entirety, the Author's Resource Box AND our Article Source Credit Url are included, and ALL links remain intact.***