Lessons from the Scrapbook Page

This is too good not to share.

You may have already read this or received it by email, but in case you haven't, here's to moms everywhere...

Why God Made Moms

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you Your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but Moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Reading this makes me feel pretty normal. The whole clean room, seeing under the bed, doesn't do spare time sounds a lot like our home. What about you? Which answers are your favorite? If you're really daring, ask your kids (or someone else's kids) these questions and let me know what they say!

Kicking the caffeine habit.

So I've done it again, I've given up coffee cold turkey. Granted I was only drinking decaf, but even that has caffeine in it, especially if you add the caffeine from chocolate in a mocha. Mmmm. If you've read my blog for very long you know that I love my coffee. I even take pictures of it.

So it's not that I don't want coffee anymore, it's just that my health is more important. I really wanted to go cold turkey to see if I noticed a difference in my sleep patterns, headaches, and general mood, even weight. I've heard and read consistently that coffee can impact all of those areas. So far so good and it's been about 3 weeks.

I've noticed less headaches and my blood sugar levels seem more consistent. A bonus is that since I'm not drinking coffee, I'm drinking more water. But a girl can't live on water alone, so I was thrilled to see that a juice company finally got wise and offered us some good tasting juice without being packed full of sugar and calories. I got two samples of Cranergy from Ocean Spray and have to admit I opened the bottle up right away and gave it a try. Yum.

I wouldn't have known it was low calorie or any different than the regular stuff. I looked at the ingredients and was happy to see that I understood what they were. Only thing I would change is the use of dye. I know it's probably an insignificant amount, but I do try to limit food and drinks with dyes in them. I think most juices have them though.

So I tried one bottle of Cranergy in the morning as a quick pick-me-up. Remember I don't have my coffee anymore so I gotta have something. Worked great. I sipped on it throughout the morning without guilt since I knew it only had 50 calories for the whole bottle. My diet can handle that!

The second bottle I tried the following day in the afternoon for a quick snack. So good. Tomorrow is grocery shopping day so I'm going to have to find them and pick up a few.

Here's the bonus: this drink was designed to help restore our natural energy. Hydration is key, as recent studies have shown that even a 5% reduction in body fluids can cause as much as a 30% loss of energy. Who knew?

Cranergy starts with Ocean Spray's premium cranberry juice and blends in natural energizers to give us an extra lift as we make our way through our days. It also includes green tea extract which contains high levels of antioxidants that help the body fight free radicals and stay healthy, and green tea extract offers a natural source of caffeine. And then it's got B-vitamins that support healthy energy production and Vitamin C that helps boost your immune system.

You can learn more and get a coupon at Cranergy.com. They even have an energy meter at their site. Give it a try!

Get Totally Rad.

Want to try a free sample of Totally Rad actions for your pictures? Now you can... at the Get Totally Rad site.

For a limited time you can visit their site and download sample actions. Once you click the link, sign up and they'll send you 3 sample actions to try out in Photoshop. You will love them. I use them all the time, as you can see from the pics above.

Gotta Read...

Ever met a Fossil Hunter?

A very good friend of mine is a fantastic author. He's also the leader of my writing group. I just found out that his latest book release, Fossil Hunter, is tied to the new movie making waves in the media, Expelled. Once I found out about the connection, I asked John if he'd be willing to do an interview for you, my readers, to get to know more about him and this very cool project...

The Interview

A couple of weeks before I was scheduled to give my company two weeks notice, Premise Media contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in doing a novelization of a screenplay they were thinking about producing. My first thought was, “Wow, what a God thing! Of course I’ll do it!” I was just about to quit my day job, and I didn’t have any contracts at the time. I knew that God had been leading me to quit, so I figured this was the was He was going to provide for us.

But then, after reading the screenplay, I realized I couldn’t write that story. Maybe someone else could, but that someone definitely wasn’t me. So I had to call the guy back and turn him down – not an easy thing to do. Later, however, as we were talking about the movie company’s plans, he asked me what I would have done differently. I told him I would have written a completely different story. A thriller instead of a drama – perhaps something set in Iraq. Something about a fossil hunter maybe… A scientist who finds something that doesn’t square with evolutionary theory…

To make a long story short, he went back and talked to the partners at Premise, and they asked me to write the book they described and said they wanted it to release at the same time as the documentary (Expelled) they were starting to work on. We met several times to talk about both the book and the documentary, and I actually got to give my feedback on the approach they were taking. When Expelled comes out on DVD, they are planning to cross promote Fossil Hunter with the Expelled DVD and several other Intelligent Design DVDs. And if the book and the documentary both do well, there’s even talk of them producing Fossil Hunter the Movie.

The Author

How incredible is that? I love hearing stories about lives being changed and last minute miracles happening. John's book was officially released today and it's now climbing up the Amazon.com rankings. It's sure to be an amazing read. You can read the first few chapters on his site. Then pick up a copy today for yourself or someone else you know...I'll be getting one for myself and my husband to share and a few extra for some people I know who love this kind of story.

Just thinking about it makes my head itch.

It's lice and I don't know of many other things that can make your skin crawl like that one little word. And elicit fear in mothers worldwide as they do everything they can to prevent it from coming to their home.

I remember getting a notice when I was in junior high that someone at school had lice and we all had to be careful. We were not to share coats, hairbrushes or hats. We never found out who had it but we always had our suspicions. I assumed it was kids who weren't clean or maybe didn't take enough baths.

It wasn't until my daughter got it at preschool when she was four that I realized cleanliness had nothing to do with it. I actually found out from our doctor at the time that those insipid little creatures like clean heads, especially curly clean hair. Well, that meant my daughter and it was not fun.

We used some product off the shelf which was supposed to work. It didn't. We tried another. No luck. I finally had to cut her hair and comb through each strand one by one. Not a picnic for either one of us.

I'm happy to report that there is a better way now. It's called Lice MD. I'm even happier to report that I don't need it right now, so if you do, I've got a free sample for you from Mom Central. It's effective, safe, simple, and pesticide free. Also non-toxic and odorless. All good things to have when you're using it on the sensitive scalp of your child.

If you're dealing with this problem now, I sympathize. If you'd like a free sample and you're the first one to email me, I'll send it to you right away. Don't worry, I won't make a big announcement about who got the free sample...just between us.

Visit the Lice M.D. Web site to learn more about this product and watch their video. If you have kids in grade school, this is something you should definitely keep on hand. The Lice M.D. Web site offers more product info as well as testimonials, additional resources, and printable coupons for Lice M.D.

The power of leaving a legacy.

Remembering our forefathers and their commitment to this country is inspiring. This image was taken in 1918 of 18,000 men preparing for war in a training camp at Camp Dodge in Iowa. As you look at their faces, say a prayer for our soldiers today.

I want to be 40!

Never thought I'd write that or even think that, but it's true. And here's why...

Pond's has partnered with the big screen remake of Mamma Mia!, starring Meryl Streep and coming to theaters this summer. (I love Meryl Streep.) Women 40 and older are invited to form a singing trio to perform their own take on the classics "Mamma Mia" or "Dancing Queen" and submit videos of their performances via the Pond's website, which also houses music and lyrics you can download to rehearse.

It's like American Idol for grown ups, but designed for amateur karaoke enthusiasts who just love the music from Mamma Mia! Add two friends and a digital camera recorder, and you're in business! The winners of the contest will win a lavish trip to London to live the life of three Dynamos at the world premiere of Mamma Mia!

The deadline for submissions is April 30th. That doesn't give you much time, but if you've got a Mac, it should be easy. You could record it in Photo Booth, edit it in iMovie and publish it in iDVD. With a lavish trip to London, it's definitely worth it!

Check out the Pond's site for more information. They have a video trailer, links to download songs from the movie, and tips for making a great video. This is your chance to shine!

Life-transforming advice for parents.

A special message from Allison Bottke, highly respected author and speaker, and most importantly, a mom who has been through more than I can imagine. 

Our country is in a crisis of epidemic proportion concerning adult children whose lives are spinning out of control—leaving parents and grandparents broken-hearted and confused. This painful issue is destroying individuals, families, marriages, churches, and communities. I believe in my heart that you are reading this message today for a very specific reason. Do you know someone who has an adult child who is always in crisis? An adult child who brings chaos to virtually every situation? Could this painful issue be touching your life today?

If so, there’s a truth I’ve come to embrace that has changed my life—it can change yours, too. It’s taken me more years than I care to admit, but I no longer believe in “coincidences.” The truth I’ve come to embrace is that God is the Master of orchestrating “God-cidences.” He has a plan for who he wants us to meet, what lessons he wants us to learn, even what books he wants us to read. He even has a plan for the trials and tribulations of life.

When we begin to look at everything that happens to us throughout the day as “God-cidences” (and not accidental coincidences) it changes the way we view our world.

That said, my prayer is that you will see the following message and the book; Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children: Six Steps to Hope and Healing as a “God-cidence” placed into your life today for a powerful purpose. Perhaps it’s to help heal your family or the family of a loved one. Perhaps you are here to help us introduce this resource to a broader audience via additional media contacts you may have. Whatever the “God-cidence” may be, please know our primary goal is to bring hope and healing to families around the nation—thank you for helping us do that.

I pray you will view what you are about to read as a “God-cidence” meant just for you.

God Bless and Keep You,
Allison Bottke

I know that many of you, like me, are mothers of young children and just starting out on this journey of parenthood. If that's you, make sure you read the answer to my last question. I always value words of wisdom from moms who have been through the fire and survived, which is why I value Allison's perspective and hard-earned answers to tough questions. She was kind enough to answer some of my specific questions about her book. I hope that you will be inspired and perhaps reminded of someone that might be in need of this exact message today. I know I can easily think of a few people struggling with these issues right now.

Here's Allison again...

Are you daring?

Would you consider yourself daring? I used to. In high school, I was voted as the most daring person on my dance team. In college, I did a backward swan dive off a bunjee jump. Pretty daring feats if you ask me.

So, let me ask you...do you dare to wear white?

Have you heard of the Dare to Wear White website and campaign? When I first heard about it, I was completely in the dark as most women are. The more I learned, the more I was shocked by the statistics...an issue that affects 10 million women and no one is talking about it. I knew I had to share this with you.

Dare to Wear White is a website where you can learn more about this issue that affects 1 in 5 women. Once you've taken a look at the site, you can take a survey. The first 250 eligible women (i.e. those who have heavy periods and are finished having children) who complete their short simple survey, will receive a $10 Amazon gift certificate as a thank you for your participation.

This is what I've learned...

Getting it together in your marriage.

Are you a product of the 70s? I am. So is my hubby. And now, Tricia Goyer, one of my favorite authors has written a book just for us and our marriage. It's the couple's guide to keeping it together—Generation NeXt Marriage.

The author is an Xer herself and has been married much longer than I have. More important than that, she's willing to share the ups, downs, and sideways mistakes, problems, and successes she and her husband have experienced through the years. One thing that instantly grabbed my attention in the book was the way that she identified so many of the issues and concerns both my husband and I have. Things like wanting to have a strong family, be good role models to our kids, and maintain intimacy...but at the same time feeling crippled without experiencing healthy marriages at home. We don't want that for our kids, but wonder how to change our family tree.

That's why I loved Generation NeXt Marriage. Here's how the book starts...

In 1983, I was in sixth grade when Billy Idol’s song, White Wedding hit the charts. I remember doodling designs for my wedding dress on the brown-paper cover of my English book. Funny thing, though, somehow (I realize now) I forgot to daydream about what happened after I married my Prince Charming. I forgot a marriage followed.

A Gen Xer herself, the book offers realistic help for protecting your marriage despite the broken relationships modeled in your youth, stories, suggestions, and confessions from fellow Gen Xers facing the "What now?" question of real-life marriage, and practical help for negotiating kids, work, money, and dirty laundry-sometimes all in the same evening

If you are part of a generation of adults who don't want to bow to their culture or live and love like their parents did -- this book is for you.

My favorite part of the book was the personal stories and truth that Tricia shared with me, her reader. At times, I felt like she was a girlfriend sitting down with me for a cup of coffee. But then there were those other times where it felt a little more like a wise counselor offering understanding and insight, but not pulling any punches either. It was truth mixed with grace, inspiration combined with a kick in the seat of the pants. Honestly, I think we all need a kick every once in a while!

If you're a Gen Xer, pick up this book. Spend some time with your spouse reading the inspiring and wise words on the pages of Generation NeXt Marriage. It could change your world. Check it out and win a date with your spouse!!