Today is Day 30, the final day of the 30 Day Blog Challenge! If you have been thinking about starting this challenge yourself, you should really go for it! I have had so much fun challenging myself everyday. I stuck to my goal of not missing a day of this challenge, and writing something for each day, even if it felt too challenging for me. Thanks to those of you who have stopped by to read my daily posts!
So today's topic is about your goals for the next 30 days. My main goal for the next 30 days would be to keep plugging away at school and working at that as hard as I can. I also want to continue to grow my blog and my readership. Overall, a goal of keeping my stress down and my sanity intact while I take on the workload of 18 credits, 4 girls, and a house to keep up is one to aim for!
"List 10 People, Dead Or Alive, You Would Invite To Dinner. Include The Dinner Menu."
Today is Day 29 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic involves listing ten people, dead or alive, you would invite to dinner. You also must include the dinner menu. I'm getting a couple of ideas right off the bat, but this is one I need to think some about.
The Guest List
1. Jesus - That would be amazing!
2. Gandhi - It just keeps getting more interesting...
3. Bob Marley - Of course I have to invite Bob! I think he would add to the stimulating conversation this lineup would have to offer.
4. Oprah - You gotta have Oprah!
5. Mother Teresa - Simply an amazing woman.
6. Rosa Parks - Another woman who I would love to just have the opportunity to converse with.
7. Sigmund Freud - As a student of Psychology, I would love to hear his opinions on how this science has progressed.
8. Johnny Depp - An amazing and gorgeous actor.
9. My grandmother. I don't get to see her as nearly enough as I would like, and I know she would love to attend a dinner like this!
10. My husband - Because if he missed this dinner he would probably be pretty upset! :)
Today is Day 28 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is something that you miss. For me, something that I dearly miss is having babies around the house. My four girls are now growing like weeds, and I sometimes get that urge to want another. This of course is not a possibility as I had my tubes tied after the twins were born. I also know that realistically I have my hands way too full right now to even think of adding a fifth child to the mix! I sometimes think one day in the future when my career is established, and the girls are all leaving the nest, that I may want to become a foster parent. I've worked with foster children in the past and I have a special place for them in my heart. So, what do you miss?
Natural House is a revolutionary company started by the Powers family! This company puts the power of probiotics into your everyday household cleaners. As new parents of twins, the Powers family wanted to be sure their little ones weren't coming into contact with any harsh chemical residues left over from your everyday household cleaning. Knowing the amazing power of probiotics, it only seemed natural to incorporate them into cleaning products!
Natural House products are all phosphate/EPA free, eco-friendly, non toxic, and biodegradable. Natural House products are strong enough for commercial clean up, but safe and gentle enough to use comfortably around your family.
The Natural House Line Up:
"Trashy"
{ Trash Can Deodorizer And Scrubber }
"Sinky"
{ Disposal Scrubber And Drain Maintanence }
"Flushy"
{ Toilet Bowl Cleaner And Septic Treatment }
Thanks to Natural House, I had the wonderful opportunity to review a supply of their three amazing probiotic cleaners for myself. I was intrigued from the beginning, being a huge fan myself of probiotics. I was curious to see how they would work in your everyday household cleaning.
What I will tell you is that these products are truly amazing! I love that I can feel safe using these products around my four girls, and have them be non-toxic cleaning products to boot! The "Sinky" and "Flushy" products go right to work before your eyes. You can see the products fizzing up and getting the job done! The "Trashy" spray has a nice light minty scent to it, and it really goes to work cleaning my trash cans around here, which are used by a family of six!
{ Watch The Informational Natural House Video! }
I'm a fan of how these products work so well to digest odors in the home. These products have also helped cut down on my cleaning time, as they do part of the work for you with the amazing fizzing probiotic mixture! If you are looking for a line of green cleaners that do what they promise, this line is definitely worth trying. I would recommend this product to any family that wants to try something new, safe, and effective. Natural House has done a wonderful job of bringing a revolutionary product to the market!
Buy: You can purchase Natural House products online at their website here!
Win: Natural House has graciously offered to award (1) reader of Textbook Mommy a 30 day supply of their powerful 3 cleaner line up!
* Giveaway Ends October 11, 2011 at 12:01 AM EST *
{ Winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or an alternate winner will be selected. Giveaway open to U.S. residents, 18+ years of age}
* Disclosure: I received samples from the above named company in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and are not a result of any outside influence.
Today is Day 27 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is a problem you have or have had in the past. I've been sitting here trying to think of what exactly I want to choose for today. I think I will go with the problem I have pretty much always had, and still have. My issue is not sticking up for myself when I need to. I'm not sure why, but I have always been bad about speaking up for myself when I need to. I know some of it is probably tied to my past and some of the trauma I've been through. It's just a problem that I wish I could magically change.
Let's say for example someone says something to me that I completely disagree with, or better yet, am insulted by. I will keep quiet about it, and then five minutes later kick myself in the rear end for not speaking up like I should have. I consider myself a pretty opinionated person. Problem is, its all on the inside! So yeah, I would consider this a problem. What is a problem you have or have had in the past?
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* Giveaway Ends October 10, 2011 at 12:01 AM EST * Winners will be chosen from a random draw through Rafflecopter and will have 48 hrs. to respond to the winning email or an alternate winner will be selected.
Well, this mom's summer break is officially over! It's back to school again for me and I am having those usual beginning term jitters I always get. Am I going to ace my classes? Will the workload overwhelm me? I've already spend the morning going through each of my online classes individually and extensively to see what exactly is expected of me and what is due this first week in each of my classes. The one thing pretty much all of them have in common this week...a huge amount of reading!
I am genuinely excited to get back to the old school grind! This will be my last year of community college, and that means I will have my Associates degree, finally. This will be my third year and final year. I only went part time the first two years due to wanting to find out if I could juggle momhood and school, plus there was a degree change along the way that lengthened things a little for me.
I think the class I'm most nervous about is my web authoring class. It's a class on XHTML. Just thinking about it kind of scares me, no lie! On the plus side of things, this class should teach me how to do some pretty cool things that I can transfer to my blog! First day of school is starting off great. Let's hope the trend continues!
If You Had $1,000,000 To Spend, How Would You Spend It?
Today is Day 26 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is if you had $1,000,00 to spend, how would you spend it. First off, If I had that much money to spend I would initially be too overwhelmed to even comprehend how to spend it! But since this is a challenge and I really don't have the money to burn (boo hoo!), I will try to lay out a reasonable way to spend it.
Without a second thought, I would buy a home for my family. We've always been renters, so this would be a huge luxury for us! I would then of course put away some of the money so that my four girls would have their college education's paid for. The reasonable part of me would then want to set aside a decent amount of money for retirement. Of course there would also be the paying off of hubby and mine's debts and student loans. That's a biggie! We would also of course help out family in whatever ways we could with this money. I would also like to make some generous contributions to various charities I admire. I'm sure there would be a shopping spree in there as well for our whole family, but really I am extra careful with money, so it would be used more practically than anything.
Today is Day 25 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is someone who fascinates you and why. Honestly, the person who fascinates me most, and probably always will, is my grandmother. I had a rough childhood, and she was my mother figure and my rock. She amazes me because she has endured so much herself in life, yet she always puts others before herself.
Not only did she help raise me as a child, when my half brother was born drug addicted and taken away from his mother, my grandmother stepped in to adopt him in her golden age. She didn't have to and she could have let another family member take on the responsibility so she could enjoy her retirement. Instead, she took on parenting all over again. I have never known her to want for anything, and she is my hero in more ways than one. I could go on and on about my grandmother, but I will end this by saying that she is truly the most fascinating person I know. Who fascinates you?
I am so excited to be participating in the upcoming multi blog "Under The Tree Giveaway Event" being organized by Life With Two Boys! All participating blogs will be hosting giveaways during this week long event. I am so looking forward to the fun!
This event will run from November 8-14, 2011. I am currently looking for sponsors who would like to work with me on what should be an event that brings in a lot of traffic! Sponsored item must be an item for children.
I will be putting together one big prize package that includes a review of each sponsors item in my "Under The Tree Event" giveaway post. If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please email me at: textbookmommy (at) gmail (dot) com
* Any bloggers interested in joining in on this event, you can find all the details at Life With Two Boys *
Today is Day 24 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is your favorite movie and what it is about. I love horror movies, so its no surprise that my favorite movie is from the horror genre. This one is an oldie but goodie. From 1977, my favorite movie is "Susperia".
First off, if you've never seen "Susperia", I highly recommend it! The movie takes place in a ballet company where newcomer Suzy Bannion realizes that the staff are actually a coven of witches. I own this movie and have watched it a half dozen times or more and I never get tired of it. The colors in the movie are unlike anything else I've seen! They are bold, vibrant and electric. The plot keeps you on your toes. This one will always be my favorite! What is your favorite movie?
"Post 5 Pictures Of Famous People You Find Attractive"
Today is Day 23 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic involves posting five pictures of famous people you find attractive. No problem! This may just be the easiest post of the 30 Day Blog Challenge to crank out yet! So without further ado, my top five...
{ #1 Has To Go To Johnny Depp, Hands Down!}
{ #2 Goes To James Franco...So Handsome!}
{ #3 Ryan Gosling. Loved him in "The Notebook"}
{ #4 Alexander Skarsgard. The reason I watch "True Blood"}
{ #5 Goes To Jesse Metcalfe, The Ex-Gardner From Desperate Housewives}
From the mind of Alberto Corral, an animator at Dreamworks Animation, comes the delightful children's book "My Monster Burrufu". This story is not only entertaining for young readers, it also comes with an important and positive message. That message is not judge people before you get to know them and to focus on what's on the inside.
"My Monster Burrufu" is a chapter book designed for boys and girls from the recommended ages of 9-12. The book is a wonderful chapter book for this age group, and is 102 pages long. Reading is a very important skill to practice and develop for any young child, and "My Monster Burrufu" aims to make it an enjoyable experience for children everywhere!
I had the exciting opportunity to review "My Monster Burrufu" with my own children and I couldn't wait to share with all of you! I have a 9 year old that loves to read, so naturally she was happy to help me on this review.
What I love about "My Monster Burrufu" is the reader friendly format for children. Younger readers usually still like a lot of pictures to look at while they read, and this book does a wonderful job of incorporating enough pictures in with the chapter book. I also like that its not a massive chapter book. With 102 pages, and all the pictures included, it really makes for a nice easy read for this age group!
My daughter was first intrigued with the beautiful cover work art, which was done by Alessandra Sorrentino. She also was happy that it had a nice beginning page designed for kids to write their name! Since she has been reading this book, she updates me everyday on the latest adventures of Olivia, who is the seven year old girl in the story. My other daughter who is 11 can hardly wait for her turn to get her hands on it! As a mom, any book that can get my kids excited about reading, earns two thumbs up in my book! I would recommend this book for any young reader!
Buy It: You can purchase "My Monster Burrufu" through Amazon.com here!
Win It: Petite Grande Idee, the publisher of "My Monster Burrufu", has graciously offered to give (2) readers of Textbook Mommy a copy of this wonderful book!
Mandatory Entry: Please leave a blog comment with who in your life you would like to win this book for! This entry is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries will be counted.
Extra Entries: Please see the Rafflecopter form below for additional entries!
*Giveaway Ends: October 6, 2011 @12:01 A.M. EST*
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents, 18 years of age and older.
The winners will be randomly selected and contacted by email. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or an alternate winner(s) will be selected.
*Disclosure: I was provided a sample book for review by Petite Grande Idee in exchange for my honest review. The opinions mentioned in this review are mine and are not a result of any outside influence.
Today is Day 22 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is how you have changed over the past two
years. I honestly don't think I have changed that much in the last two years. If anything, the biggest change during this time was my decision to go back to school. Two years ago I realized that my kids were all in school, and it was time for mommy to get back on track with pursuing her dream of getting a college degree.
Everything else in my life the past two years has been pretty constant and calm. I guess looking at today's challenge, I'm pretty lucky in that respect. I'm a creature of habit anyway. I like living a predictable life, lol! So how have you changed over the past two years?
Today is my 8 year wedding anniversary! I can't believe how quickly the years have went by. At this time last year, hubby to be and I were in Las Vegas getting ready for our little chapel wedding. I really am lucky to have such a wonderful man to share my life with! He is an amazing father and husband. We don't have any special plans tonight with it being a school night for the girls, and with my husband working. I think we are just going to have a nice family evening here at the house. We planned on going out to a nice lunch while the kids are in school tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to that. I can't wait to see what the next 8 years hold!
Today is Day 21 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is one of your favorite television shows. I don't watch too much television, but I do enjoy the show 48 Hours. I love learning about a true crime story, and usually being surprised with how the story ends by the end of the show! I have the TV.com app on my Android and it updates with a new 48 Hours episode every week. I love curling up in bed and watching the week's latest episode! I think my studies in Psychology also draw me to this show. I find myself wondering motives behind people and their thought processes that lead them to it. So...What is one of your favorite television shows?
This year I have been writing articles for Squidoo, some of them full of crafting ideas! I thought it would be a great idea to share some of my articles here for my readers, to give you all some inspiring new crafting ideas. Most of these craft projects can be done with children, so its a great way to spend quality time together. I hope you find something here that you would love to try!
Today is Day 20 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is how important you think education is. As many of you know, I am a college student, so naturally I place education as a high importance in life. Especially in today's economy, we should be promoting and pursuing higher education for not only our children, but ourselves as well. Its a no brainer that furthering your education opens doors to higher salaries and better positions.
I have had many talks with my girls about going off to college one day. They know it is something me and their father want for them and their future. I hope that seeing their mom taking the leap to finally go back to school to finish her education inspires them. How important do you think education is?
I would like to invite my readers to become part of the Million Moms Challenge on behalf of ABC News and the United Nations Foundation. This challenge is all about helping moms and babies around the world! The Million Moms Challenge aims to raise awareness and funds to help women and children everywhere survive and thrive. The slogan is simple, yet encouraging: "Remember, you don't need to be a mom to help a mom. You just need to be one in a million.".
Being a mom is not an easy feat. I believe in the Million Moms Challenge and the way it is joining moms from all over the world together to communicate, lend support, and focus on health for ourselves and our children. This challenge focuses on the important issues on every mother's mind like access to proper nutrition for healthy pregnancies, access to quality trained midwives to assist in safe deliveries, and vaccines to keep our children healthy.
You can join in by signing up to be part of the challenge at the Million Moms Challenge website. Here you will find all sorts of ways you can help make a difference in another mom's life, as well as your own!
You can also come join in on some wonderful mommy related discussions at the Million Moms Challenge Blog Frog community.
You can also show your support by posting a picture of yourself with Million Moms written on the palm of your left hand, and your index finger up on your right! Submit your photo to ABC News here and you could even have your photo featured on one of their shows!
Today is Day 19 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is your biggest regret in life. I have to say that I am not a fan of today's topic. I personally do not feel I have any regrets in life. Sure there are things that have happened along the way in my life that I wish I could of avoided, but in the end its those same events, emotions, and struggles that have made me who I am today. I know that I am a strong woman because of these things. I feel that we all have to go through certain things for some reason unknown to us. Had I not gone through these things, I don't know if I would be anything like who I am today, and I'm proud of who I am! So for today's topic, no regrets.
A Book You Could Read Over And Over Again & Never Get Sick Of
Today is Day 18 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is a book you could read over and over again and never get sick of. Don't laugh, but my choice hands down is Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. I remember my grandmother buying me this book as a young girl. My first time reading it I was hooked! Over the years I revisited reading that book on several different occasions. What I love is that it is now one of my daughter's favorite books. I need to go buy another copy of this book because just writing this post is making me want to read it again! What's your favorite book you could read over and over again?
For those of you who are new to Scentsy products as I was, Scentsy is a revolutionary direct selling company that offers safe and wickless alternatives to your traditional scented candles! If you have ever tried Scentsy products, chances are you are definitely a fan, and probably have a favorite scent, or two!
I was contacted by a wonderful woman by the name of Jennifer Truppa, who is a Scentsy consultant with a passion for the products she sells! What I first noticed about Jennifer, was her enthusiasm for Scentsy! I had heard of Scentsy before, but didn't really know much beyond the fact you could buy or sell their wickless scented products.
Once I took a look at a Scentsy catalog, I really was impressed! For starters, there are so many varieties of scents to choose from, I couldn't even count them! If you are like me, the kind of person who is really particular about the fragrances they like, you are sure to find something in this mass amount of choices available! Scentsy even allows you to enjoy your favorite holiday inspired scents all year long!
I also initially figured that Scentsy would offer a couple different warmers to choose from. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only do they offer your traditional table top warmer, they also offer plug in warmers! There is also way more than just a couple different warmer varieties to choose from. You can honestly find a warmer to fit anyone in your life! There are sports themed warmers (including your favorite campus sports teams!), patriot themed warmers (navy, army, marines, coast guard, and air force), different shaped warmers, and plenty of different designed warmers to choose from! There is even the option to buy and design your own Scentsy warmer!
Jennifer gave me the wonderful chance to review Scentsy for myself and share with my readers! I received the above pictured items for review, which included a plug in warmer and Scentsy's Baked Apple Pie Scent Bars. The plug in warmer was super easy to set up, and I was able to have my warmer up and running within minutes!
Jennifer had asked me what kinds of scents I enjoyed, and I told her I loved foodie scents such as pumpkin or apple pie. I was so happy to see that she included the Baked Apple Pie scent bars. I couldn't have picked a better scent myself! This scent smells exactly liked warm oven fresh baked apple pie. I also like the hint of cinnamon mixed in!
{ My plug in warmer in action!}
If you are interested in learning more about Scentsy, or if you are looking for a wonderful consultant for all your Scentsy needs, I would definitely recommend going through Jennifer Truppa. She has made this review such a wonderful experience for me, and I will be returning to her for future Scentsy purchases because let's face it, I'm a Scentsy addict now!
As much as I could rave about Scentsy all day, you simply must try it for yourself to get how wonderful these products truly are. I love the fact that I can have a safe alternative to traditional candles with little children running around. It gives me a wonderful piece of mind! I'm also loving the wonderful comments from friends and family on how wonderful Scentsy makes my house smell. It's no aerosol air freshener, that's for sure!
Buy It: You can purchase Scentsy through Jennifer Truppa here!
Win It: Jennifer has generously offered to give one reader of Textbook Mommy their choice of plug in warmer and scent bars. Thanks Jenn!
Mandatory Entry: Please leave a blog comment with which plug in warmer from the Groovy Collection (pictured above) you would like if you won, plus which fall/winter scent (detailed above) you would choose! Pick carefully, as this is the scent you will receive if chosen as the winner! This is a mandatory entry and must be completed before extra entries will be counted.
Extra entries are detailed in the Rafflecopter form below!
Today is Day 17 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is your highs and lows of this past year. The highs for me this past year involved getting back into blogging full swing and heading into my final year of community college, getting me one step closer to my dream job! Another high of this past year would have to include the fact that my family had good health! Now onto the lows. There really hasn't been many lows for me this past year, which is nice. Lows would have to include not getting to move as we originally planned, as well as my mother in law getting some bad news about her health. For the most part this past year has been pretty smooth sailing. I hope that my luck continues in this area. Stress is no fun for anyone. How has your past year been?
Want a chance to win? To be qualified, users can participate by submitting their story at www.upromisetodream.com, along with voting for their fellow favorites! Upromise will be giving away $1,000 to 10 winners, plus a grand prize winner will be awarded $10,000!
I shared my own story on the dream wall of how I fuel my own children by staying involved and active in my girls' education! I think the little things like checking homework, practicing flash cards, checking in with your child's teacher, and providing ongoing encouragement help your children keep a positive and productive outlook on education.
Make sure to submit your own story on the Upromise Dream Wall and get in on the anniversary fun! For further details, you can check out the dream wall official rules.
Keep your kids healthy and fit while having fun with the Storyland Yoga DVD! Your child will get to go on different eco-conscious adventures while they interact through yoga. This DVD features two fun filled interactive stories: "Save The Whale" and "Condor Trek". Your children will have fun becoming part of the story while mimicking animals through various yoga poses!
Yoga is a wonderful tool for helping your child calm down and unwind. Yoga also gives your children a clearer focus and increased clarity. Ahmed Fahmy, the instructor featured in Storyland Yoga, guides your child through easy to accomplish yoga poses, while inspiring your kids to think of how they can help out the planet. This DVD can also be enjoyed as a family, with parents joining in on the fun!
Karen and Bryan Duggan are the masterminds behind Storyland Yoga. After meeting, this couple paired their passions and set out on a mission to create fun and positive media that would both entertain and empower people. After their daughter Lily was born, they both realized they wanted to focus their mission on helping families raise healthy children, on a healthy planet. In comes the creation of their company, Playful Planet, and that's where this wonderful DVD came to life!
I had the fantastic opportunity to review the Storyland Yoga DVD in my home with my own children. What I love most as a mom, is that this DVD keeps kids healthy and active through yoga, and they don't even realizing they are getting exercise! I also love the instructor Ahmed's soothing voice that seemed to really put my kids into a calm and relaxed state. Ahmed does a wonderful job of storytelling and interacting with kids. He truly seems to be in his element in this DVD.
Another thing I really admired about Storyland Yoga, was its inspiring messages to get kids involved with ways they can help save the planet. With our planet being a major concern for all of us, this DVD helps change the mind frame of how the next generation views the Earth's challenges ahead.
I wasn't sure how my daughters would react to this DVD initially. Yoga is something we have never participated in so far, so I didn't know if they would take to it or not. I was surprised to see that all my girls stayed focused the entire time! They were enjoying making animal-like poses, as well as enjoying the stories. I would recommend this product to any parent with young children. It's a great tool to keep your kids active and engaged in something positive!
Win: Playful Planet has graciously offered to award one reader of Textbook Mommy a copy of Storyland
Yoga!
Mandatory Entry: Please leave a comment in Rafflecopter telling me a way your family stays active!
Extra Entries will be detailed in the Rafflecopter form below!
* Giveaway Ends September 30, 2011 @ 12:01 A.M. EST * * Winner will have 48 hrs to respond to the winning email or an alternate winner will be selected *
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Today is Day 16 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge, and today's topic is your views on mainstream music. I am a a fan of most every music genre, with the exception of country. Chances are if its in the top charts, I know the words! My music likes have a fairly wide range. I like a lot of older music, such as the Beatles. I also am a fan of newer music by artists such as Adele. This mama is actually a huge fan of hip hop and rap! I love me some Lil' Wayne. What kind of music do you like?
