JenHeadJen

LOVE and TOFW.com

2012-02-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

The other day I was blog-surfing, and fell upon a post that sparked my interest. I thought it was a genealogy blog, but upon further review, it looks more like a design blog, focusing on kids' decor. While I enjoyed the site, I had a hard time commenting, so the poor woman will never know I visited, which seems like a shame in the world of social networking. I did really enjoy this post though. She participated in a contest on "what love looks like", sharing a picture of some beautiful little sis's, depicting love. Beautiful.

So I checked out the contest she was participating in, and decided I wanted to join in myself! What does L-O-V-E look like to you? This is just a piece of what comes to my mind:

THIS is love. Smiling so hard your eyes squint, your jaw goes this-way-and-that, all because you have to smile so much that the camera feels your love. Saying "cheeeeeeeese" over and over, just for the fun of it. (This was picture #5 of 5.) Not caring that your hair is bedhead, or that we're not all completely in the picture, or that your face is covered with syrup. Enjoying the time together, just because you're with your favorite people. This is love. And this Love comes barreling at me from the second I wake up in the morning to the moment I lay him down for sleep.

LOVE. Thanks TOFW, for suggesting this contest. What a fun idea. Glad I found your blog! (And I really enjoyed this post, btw. Thanks, Laurel!)

5 Mint Oreos. Hope I win, too!

~Jen:)

Toddler Puzzle Shapes App Review

2012-02-15T20:53:00.002-07:00

I don't know how many of my readers have kids (or work with kids), but since I do, I tend to enjoy reviewing things that work in the kid arena. Often we buy toys and games that are just junk. In fact, we bought several items from one store before this past Christmas, and either the new batteries were completely useless, or the toys were broken from the start, because we powered them up and three out of three didn't last more than 30 seconds. No exaggeration. I was pretty disappointed.

One "toy", however, that has proven quite worth the money has been an iTouch that my mom purchased for my oldest. We thought it was extravagant for an eight year old, and were worried that it would get busted before the day was through. It held up for a long time, however, and only got broken a few weeks ago, when one of the younger ones had a tug-of-war with it... with me. It wound up like this:

Beautiful! We put a cover screen thing on it, and it's been holding together ok.

Despite the cracks on the front, my kids still manage to get great use out of it! What's great about it, (for those of you who are like me and technologically behind the time) is that it has seemed to replace coloring books and crayons at church. For years I have loaded up a giant bag of "tricks" to keep my kids occupied for an hour, while they're supposed to sit quiet like little angels. But a few weeks ago, a friend of ours was sitting with us, and when my younger ones started tiring of coloring, she pulled out her iPhone. Loaded on there was a "toddler" app, called "Toddler Puzzle Shapes". It's a free app, which allows little fingers to touch and drag a shape to the matching hole.

("Can you guess which one goes over the question mark? Which color is it? What's the shape called? Why doesn't this one fit?")

When they succeed, they go to the next screen, which is often a simple 4-piece puzzle. They touch a piece, and the space where it goes begins blinking, so they know where to drag it to. From a parent's perspective, it's a great idea, especially for toddlers. Simple, easy, and good for short attention spans.

I give it 5 Mint Oreos, and highly approve of an iTouch or iPhone for any Church bag, road trip, or even quiet time at home.

~Jen:)

p.s. - Do your kids love apps? Are they borrowing your iPhone? Which are your favorites?

Don't Eat Petey!

2012-02-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

Each week our family tries to hold a "Family Night", where we spend a bit of special time, all together. It's been a challenging task, trying to find something to keep all of our four kids involved, yet still enjoying themselves. Tonight we found a winner.

It's a spin-off of "Don't Eat Petey!" I drew a big square, divided it into 9 smaller squares, and then drew different shapes in the squares. It doesn't really matter what's in the squares, but you top each square with something small and edible, like Smartees, M&M's, goldfish, pretzels... something they can safely shove in their little faces. :) Goldfish shaped like space aliens were on the menu tonight.

The first thing you do, once your board is set up, is send someone out of the room, and then quietly designate which square for that round is "Petey". You call the person back into the room, and have them start guessing which one's Petey. They can gather the items in their hands, or eat them as they go. Each one of my kids has their own preferences as to how they gather. It never fails that when they pick Petey, they get a good jump from all of us hollering at them.

Don't eat Petey!!!

The only caution is with smaller children. You may want to adapt the game to be some kind of applause, rather than "Don't eat Petey!" Our 3 yr. old started crying, so we had to mix it up real quick.

A fun and easy game, that can last just a few minutes, or a really long time if you want it to.

5 Mint Oreos!

~Jen:)

p.s.- if you have any quick, fun and easy family activities you'd like to share or guest post about, email me at jenheadjen [at] gmail [dot] com. I'd love to hear about them!

Sunday Grateful: A Full Fridge

2012-02-12T23:26:00.002-07:00

This past week I had some ideas come up on what I wanted to share for my "Sunday Grateful". One thing which stuck out particularly was this:

I know a lot of people are really struggling financially. If I stop to think about it, I could consider that relative to some, we might be struggling as well. But we are so very blessed.

A few Sundays ago I was able to fill out a "tithing slip". In our church, we don't pass around an offerings plate, but we have these little envelopes where you can privately write out how much you want to donate in tithes, offerings, as well as other funds. I wrote down my tithing amount, and then sat there are pondered how much to put for "fast offerings". A number came to mind that was almost as much as my tithing, which wasn't that much to begin with. But adding so much in fast offerings, felt like an actual sacrifice, compared to what I knew was left to our name in the bank. I remember licking the envelope shut and praying in my mind, "Ok, Heavenly Father. I'm feeling prompted to put this in here. Show me what You got, because we're just about broke, and I don't see any new jobs on the horizon!"

Well, I won't share too much detail, but it was not even a week later that we found out we were getting a seriously large tax refund, which greatly enhanced what we have to work with.

I could've cried. Now, we're not that bad off, but seeing such quick results from a test of faith was just remarkable. It's almost like I could see Him smile, and say, "See Jen, I promised you! Now what are you gonna do with this dose of manna? Will you test me again?" I never cease to be astounded at the blessings of tithing and generous offerings in my life. God truly does open up the windows of heaven and pours out a blessing, so that there is not room enough to receive it.

Looking at my fridge, I am so grateful. It is full, such that I have no more room to store more in there. Definitely something to be grateful for among many, many other things.

What are you thankful for this week?

~Jen:)

Philosophies of Men Review

2012-02-12T00:25:00.000-07:00

A week or two ago I was googling "brass plates" to find a decent picture to use on my other blog. I came across a great picture, which was being used on a blog called "Philospohies of Men Mingled with Scripture". I thought the title to be a bit unique. Some people might recognize that phrase, and I must admit I was a little cautious when exploring this blog to find the photo I had googled. (I try to cite photos, and prefer to reference to at least non-objectionable websites.) This blog proved to be a great surprise.

The photo I was looking for was featured in what I would consider more of a scholarly essay than a blog post. After copying said picture,

(photo source)

I started skimming the rest of the blog. One post I found particularly enjoyable. It talked about horses in America during the Pre-Columbian Era, which fascinated me, because I had just read earlier that day in the Book of Mormon about how Ammon prepared King Lamoni's "horses and chariots". That verse had caught my attention, because I had been wondering how these people got around –if they had horses, wagons, etc. So when I was pleased to read about the horses, and then found this blogger, referring to someone else's archaeological evidence of horses in the Book of Mormon, it made me laugh out loud. How does that always seem to happen in my life? God does answer prayers, and sometimes faster than we think, or before we even think to ask.

Anyways, Philosophies of Men is a great blog! It's well thought-out, well written, and has some serious meat to it. I'd encourage anyone who's sincerely interested in some thoughtful discussion of Book of Mormon goods to check it out. Or even those simply interested in some scientific comparison, historical analysis, or philosophical thought added to their daily studyings.

5 Mint Oreos!

~Jen:)

p.s. - Cristofer from said blog also writes for two other blogs as well. One is called "Louder than Words", which currently features a great video on how to detect a liar. The other is "Diary of a Super-Villain", and is more hysterical than I would have ever expected a villain's blog to be. He has also obliged me today with a guest post at my other blog. Enjoy!

The Second Comforter, by Denver C. Snuffer, Jr. Review

2012-02-10T11:12:00.003-07:00

This is a book review that's been worked on in my head for about four months now. About a year ago, when I was reading Melvin Fish's books (the Healing the Inner Self series), each time I would add a book from that series to my collection, Amazon would recommend The Second Comforter as a book that others purchased as well. I read their reviews, and wasn't sure if it was something that would be considered quasi-LDS literature. It wasn't published by the "pillars" of LDS publications, and the copy in the Orem Library seemed to be permanently listed as "damaged", so I couldn't even peruse the contents to see if I'd object to it. The cost was over $20 at the time, and on a college student family's budget, I just didn't know if it was worth it.

(photo source and purchase info)

In July, I met another living soul who had actually read and loved the book; this was someone that I felt inclined to trust. I take my faith seriously, and I am super-careful in choosing books that follow principles in line with my beliefs. Having grown up in an area where anti-Mormon propaganda was sitting on counters in neighboring churches, I learned that bothering with anti-Mormon lit was just not worth my time. I don't have respect or patience for those who feel the need to tear down others' beliefs as their sole purpose of life. If someone has something good, thoughtful, or analytical to say about beliefs other than their own, I welcome those ideas.

Anyways, I purchased the book. Started reading back in July. My thoughts?

It was thick reading. There have been times where I have plowed through a novel in under two days, and that was with three kids (at the time) climbing over my legs. This book took me several months to complete. It was LOADED with content that required pondering, prayer, and serious deliberation. He presented ideas on topics that I had heard about a thousand times in church, but had really never considered in the light that he was using. It was illuminating.

Style-wise, to put it bluntly, the author's voice made me crazy. He is (at time of printing) an attorney, so his style is much in line with his experience and skill set. He is pleading the case of how any why it is essential to "converse with the LORD, through the veil". The tone is very, very defensive. I gather that while trying to get this book published, he likely faced great opposition and challenges. As evidenced by history, all good things come with that, which gives more weight to my belief in the arguments he presents. But still, I got a little weary of the constant "don't keep reading unless you are open to this/believe in this concept". It got repetitive, and I just wanted the meat of the thought. I wouldn't have made it to page 24 if I wasn't ready for what he had to say. (The first 23 pages are his pre-curser and defensive stance.)

That said, I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is written with a targeted audience, and that is most strictly members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and even more specifically those who are "temple-worthy". If the reader doesn't fit that category, it is not a problem; they just likely won't understand many concepts or principles that are referred to.

The book, in my opinion, is very much worth the money. There are a few books in my collection that could easily be considered "fluff", and not matter in the eternal scheme of things. This is one book that has quite literally changed my life and perspective on my purpose here. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an intimately close relationship with their Savior.

5 Mint Oreos for content
3 Mint Oreos for style. I hope Denver can lighten up and not sound so defensive in future publications. I look forward to reading those.

~Jen:)

Awesome App for Musicians!

2012-02-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

So tonight I sat down at my awesome electrical piano to decompress some. And as I played some of my favorite songs, I started thinking of some fun ways to make some extra money. I'm not sure why this came to mind –perhaps it's just due to the phase of life that our family finds itself in. But an idea came to mind related to something I'd love to see for the piano. It got me so excited that I stopped mid-song to share the idea with Dan. And even better, I asked him to start seeing if there was something already out there that was similar to my idea. Sure enough, there was.

Now, while I could mope at the fact that someone came up with this idea first and will likely become a bazillionaire off of it, I won't. I rejoice in the fact that this awesome invention is already out there, and hopefully soon enough it will expand fully into the idea which I dreamed up in those few short minutes. What a blessing that someone did all the work for me!!!

Here's the idea: a musician's dream, by a company called "Zenph".

In case you don't feel like watching all 3:13 of it, it's an app for an iPad that allows the pianist (or other musician, I hope) to play their sheet music, onscreen, and the screen adjusts the music as one plays! There is no need for a page turner. No need for pages and pages to worry about falling off your music ledge. It just goes. And surely there's an app out there to record your beautiful song via your electric piano, should you have one.

Even better... this little boy is being accompanied by an orchestra, that not only plays background accompaniment for him, but also slows down or speeds up according to how fast he plays!!! It's intuitive, like you can only hope most accompanists would be. AWESOME!!!

So this invention seriously makes me want an iPad. My invention idea would likely involve 2 iPads, so the screen could be bigger and similar to sheet music. But I'm sure someone'll get there with that idea. Can you musicians out there picture this replacing bulky folders of sheet music? Or the need to copy music when you perform duets? (Sinner. That's illegal! ;) Or perhaps orchestras with music that can be easily adjusted by their conductor on their iPad, and promptly shows up on each musician's? Ingenius.

Here's the link for the software. Apparently only $39.99, plus any necessary wires or cables you may need to hook it up. Hopefully they have a great music selection to accompany this program!

5+ Mint Oreos. This one seriously rocks!!!

~Jen:)

Dairy-free Orange Banana Smoothie

2012-02-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

I tried a new recipe the other day for my kids. One of them still wouldn't try it; she's averse to trying new things, unless it's wrapped with a Hershey's label or covered in brown sugar. But the rest enjoyed most of this cupful.

The recipe was for a simple orange banana smoothie, minus the milk. Here 'tis!

To your blender add:
1/2 c. coconut milk (from a can!)
1 frozen banana (unfrozen works too)
1 peeled orange
water to your desired consistency

Simple, fast and easy. If you want to turn it green, throw in a sprig of kale.

Hope you enjoy! 5 Mint Oreo Smoothies!
~Jen:)

Super-moist, Egg-free, Gluten-free Chocolate Cake

2012-01-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

The other day I was looking for a new bribery tool. I discovered how attentive my kids were in helping me clean up the living room when they had a Kool-Aid "FunFizz" as a potential reward. Amazing how one little piece of purple sugar that fizzes in water will inspire them to do the most extraordinary things!

(Kraft should really sponsor me and this blog. Especially when my rating system is Mint Oreos. All in favor, say aye.)

Anyways, I wanted to try a new treat to bribe them with, once the FunFizz were all out. We had a conglomeration of flours that are gluten-free that I wanted to use up, so I decided to try them in a chocolate cake. After I mixed it up, I realized it was egg-free, and thought there might be some folks who might like to try this recipe too. Here 'tis.

Super-moist, Egg-free, Gluten-free Chocolate Deliciousness:

3 c. flour [I used a mix of the following: 2 c. super-fine brown rice flour, 2/3 c. potato starch (not potato flour), 1/3 c. tapioca flour (aka tapioca starch). Add 1 tsp. xanthan gum per each cup of flour mix. In this case, it would be 3 tsp.)
2 c. sugar
1/3 c. cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. oil
2 T. vinegar
2 c. water
2 tsp. vanilla

I added all the dry ingredients to my mixer, and mixed well. The gluten-free flour mixture is a little sticky, so be sure to tap your cup as you measure so there are no holes, or use a spoon to fill the cup. Once the dry goods are well mixed, add in the wet. The vinegar and baking soda add a "volcano" effect to the cake. Makes it light and airy, although the other ingredients make it heavy and moist. I think this also allows for the lack of eggs in the recipe.

Moist, light (but heavy, density-wise), and delicious. Some might like a little added sweetness –it seemed a little less sweet than a box mix. I think this could be compensated for in the icing you use. Cool Whip worked great for this pic. :)

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you give it a try!

4 Mint Oreos! Would've been 5 if Dan wouldn't have thrown out my homemade icing! ;D

~Jen:)
xoxo

p.s. - I got the base recipe for this from a Church cookbook called "A Taste of Tradition, Windsor 4th Ward" Cookbook. Carrie Peterson was the contributor for "Crazy Chocolate Cake". Definitely crazy! Thanks Carrie!!!

Happy Groundhog's Day!

2012-01-17T11:25:00.002-07:00

Perusing my blog, I realized it's no longer fall, despite my old, red/brown/yellow/orange fall leaves all over my blog. Normally I don't announce new backgrounds, but this one is so fun, it's hard not to!

This one reminded me of the fact that Groundhog's Day is in two weeks. In PA, "Punxsutawney Phil" always let us know if spring is right around the corner. I used to send my friends e-cards where we found out whether or not Phil saw his shadow. It never failed to make me laugh. I hope they laughed opening them up!

It seems like with Presidential Elections coming up, we'll be reminded constantly how terrible things are and have been, for decades past. I just wanted to use this as a reminder for me, and any other gloom-and-doomers, that spring is around the corner, no matter what Phil or any politician from any party says!

(photo source)

I hope you celebrate Groundhog's Day with me! February 2, 2012!!!

(photo source)

~Jen:)
xoxo

UPDATE: Yeah, couldn't really handle the giant groundhog on the right side of that background. Hope this one works for your eyes! ;)

A natural solution for belly aches

2012-01-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

So my sweet big girl's got a belly ache and a fever today, and it reminded me of something I've wanted to share for awhile.

Two Black Fridays ago, I drove up to Idaho to visit my awesome sister and her family in Boise. After enjoying the Black Friday fun, I woke up the next day with the most nauseous feeling ever, that would not abate. I don't know if anyone cared that I wasn't getting out of bed, because for what seemed like hours, I just lay there, hoping the nausea would go away. No one bothered me! (Surprise!!!)

Finally someone noticed that I wasn't enjoying the plethora of Thanksgiving leftovers, and had mercy on me to come see what was wrong. I was then offered anti-nausea medicine, or essential oils from my sister's cabinet. Just the thought of putting a spoon in my mouth added to the nausea, so I opted to put a drop of oil on my stomach. By this point I was in the bathroom, praying for the feeling to leave in whatever way it needed to. I'm sure you've all been there.

So I tried this oil my sister had. It was created by a company she used to work for, which has since had some ethical and legal problems come its way. But regardless, the combination of one oil on my stomach, and a drop of another oil on my tongue worked miracles. Praise Jesus! (Can I get an Amen?!)

Within the hour I was back to walking around, feeling decent enough to try to sip on some water. What seemed like an all-encompassing stomach bug, doomed to thwart my happy weekend with my family, turned into a few-hour-long excursion, quickly reversed by the help of two drops of oil. What molecules were in those two drops of liquid, that could so seriously change the effects of whatever virus or bacteria was attacking my body?

In any event, I started paying more attention to essential oils. One night I attended a seminar done by a friend, trying to get people to sign up for her company that she had thoroughly researched. Another friend did massage with oils from another company. One friend told me how he worked with the company my sister worked with (with the legal trouble), and affirmed some of the shady deals going on. Add all that together, and I came to the conclusion that I have no all-knowing conclusions.

However, I did feel comfortable enough to subscribe to one company that seems to have developed a congregation of testimonies in its support. They, like all the others, swear up and down that they are the best. I wouldn't expect anything less. What's important to me, is that the oils work, and are safe for use topically on our bodies, aromatically in the air, and for some, even taken internally. (Many, if not most companies cannot safely make that assertion, due to chemical additives.) That company for me is...

drumroll, please...

(Are you just climbing the walls in anticipation?)

...

...

...

doTERRA.

Here's a blip from their website:

dōTERRA (CPTG) Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade^® essential oils represent the safest, purest, and most beneficial essential oils available today. They are gently and skillfully distilled from plants that have been patiently harvested at the perfect moment by experienced growers from around the world for ideal extract composition and efficacy. Experienced essential oil users will immediately recognize dōTERRA's superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective therapeutic-grade essential oils. (see here)

Anyways, I just wanted to share that it's a product worth sharing. One of my favorites is their DigestZen, which I just put on my daughter's stomach, and it helped her fall blissfully to sleep on the couch. Hopefully she wakes up happy and bouncing, as usual!

(photo source)

And a few brief words about the way the company works –

They are also like CostCo or Sam's Club. One can pay $35 for a wholesale membership, and be able to purchase oils at wholesale cost. Depending on what they want to order first, that $35 may be rolled into a "package" price, to include oils, rather than just a pack of paperwork.
One can also do a monthly order, changeable from month to month, where they earn "rewards" or a percentage of the purchase back, to be used at a later date.
One can run it as a business, and some people make a living off of it. This is dependent upon how much they sell. (Translation: commissions are possible.) This is done by hosting parties, selling at full retail price to friends, etc.

While I haven't turned this into an active business, as I did years ago with Pampered Chef and Tupperware, I do feel like it is worth sharing – and it's definitely been more useful to my health than those products lying around my house. The oils are excellent in quality, and my family loves using them. In fact, we use them as a part of our bedtime routine. My kids love getting foot or back massages each night, with their oil of choice. I trust the fragrances, the nurturing touch from a loving mom, and the molecular effects of the oils is something that will help their health and well being for years to come.

(photo source)

Currently there's a sale running on a powerful oil, frankincense. (Promo runs through 1/15/12.) If you'd like details on that, check out my page here. And if you'd want help in choosing oils, or would like to sign up with me for a wholesale membership, please holler at me (jenheadjen [at] gmail [dot] com) and we can set up to chat on the phone about what might be beneficial for you and your family, depending on your needs. I promise, I'm not pushy. At least not like I used to be! :)

As far as how the company runs, I give it 3 Mint Oreos. There are some things that could be done better, like a more clear explanation on their payment structure. If you have a contact that can explain it clearly without being overly pushy, you're in good shape.

Their customer service on the phone is excellent. 5 Mint Oreos to them!

The oils themselves I'd give 5 Mint Oreos, of course! Great stuff!

Thanks for reading! If you have good experiences with oils, please share in the comments!

~Jen:)

When I Fall Please Grab my Hand (GIVEAWAY x3!), by Christine Z. DeWitte

2012-01-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

I can't even wait to share this book with you. I haven't finished it, but I believe its messages are so timely, that I can't wait to finish it to share.

It's called When I Fall, Please Grab my Hand, and is written by Christine Z. DeWitte. And before you say how odd it is that I've not finished the book before reviewing it, let me also say that I know the author, and love her to pieces. No, I'm not biased! ;)

I met "Chrissy" back in 2004, when Dan was in the Army, stationed at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. We met Chrissy by the advice of a friend, as she was touted as a financial "guru". I don't even remember what department she worked for, but she advised us on financial matters that changed how we spent our money. Shortly following our first meeting, I delivered our first child, and due to severe hormonal imbalances and serious naivete on my part, we ended up in a legal battle with no end in sight. When we didn't know where to turn for help, somehow we ended up sitting across the desk from Chrissy DeWitte.

(Chrissy, send me a new pic if you like... ;D)

Chrissy handed us a check, with the idea that it was "Emergency Relief". I don't know if it came from her pocket or the Air Force's, but nonetheless it felt like a tender mercy from God. It reminded us that we were not alone, even when it came down to basic financial needs.

It is interesting to note to me, that of all the help I asked for, and of all the people I met in Florida during that time, Chrissy is one of two who still remain "by my side" to this day. She is truly one of the most "Christ-like" people I know. Her book is an extension of both her personality and love for Christ. Yes, when I fall, please grab my hand! The title alone puts tears in my eyes. I am so grateful for friends and loved ones who share the love of God, and grab my hand when I fall.

(Click on the book to buy at amazon.com!:)

So about the book. It's set up as a bit of a conglomeration of daily devotionals which Chrissy emailed daily to her Bible study group. Each one is about 1-3 pages long, and is set up to be something you can actively work on, with a few lines at the bottom to note what you seek the Lord's help in changing. I love that each day I've gotten to enjoy a little bit of Chrissy (and Christ) in my life! If only everyone had the chance to meet her! Every time that I've read from this book, she's literally put a smile on my face and those around me inevitably hear a bursts of laughter. Day 1 is about her ugly bedroom set, Day 2 ponders our "crummy pasts", Day 3 she gets hit in the had with a golf club (not once, but 5 times!), and Day 4 she looks at "helmet head" and not judging one another. Seriously, each day is a wonderful, poignant laugh which turns a heart to Christ.

What I'd like to do on this giveaway is this: I'm offering up to 3 copies of this book! How many copies I give out will be dependent on how many participants join in. I'll give away 1 copy for every 7 distinct people that participate, up to 3 copies. (So 21 different people comment, 3 copies. 7 people, 1 copy. Make sense?)

Here's how it'll work:

Entry 1: Leave a comment on your thoughts of the book so far!
Entry 2+: Share this contest with a friend, however you choose. (I prefer a social network, like Nerdbook, Twitter, your blog... the idea is to let as many people know about Chrissy's book as possible.) Let me know how you shared in a separate comment. (ie. With a friend - 1 entry. On Nerdbook - 1 entry. On your blog - 1 entry, etc.)

I'll run the contest for 10 days, and notify the winner by email, as well as by commenting on this post. (Be sure that your email is listed on your profile page. Otherwise check back here to see if you won!) Contest will close on 1/14/2012 at 6pm MST. If winners don't claim their prize w/in 48 hours, I'll pick a new winner and re-post!

Good luck, everyone! I hope you enjoy this fabulous book! 5 Mint Oreos!!!

~Jen:)
xoxo

Tropical (and Healthy) Pancakes

2011-12-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

We've been experimenting with pancakes lately here at our place. I've found an adaptation to my mom's recipe that I think just about anyone would love. It comes on the heels of adapting some new and subtle changes into my family's diet, and I've found that these changes are proving to be an improvement in terms of both health, energy and subsequently mood levels! Here's the recipe for what I call "Tropical Pancakes". Don't feel you have to adapt everything to the healthy alternatives (even though I'd hope you do:), because no matter what "healthy" or not ingredients you use, this is a great recipe!

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour –{We slowly changed from unbleached white to WW. The kids hardly noticed, but to make it slow and subtle, we started with 1/2 c. WW to 1 c. white ratio, then 3/4 c. and 3/4 c., and so on, until we got to using all WW. My family loves it, and don't even notice the pancakes aren't "white".}
2 T. "Just Like Sugar" –{Sugar is fine, but I'd switched to use this, and I believe it, along with using whole wheat flour, has very much helped me not get the sugar "high" and the subsequent "crash" of eating pancakes. I can eat as many as I want and not feel like taking a nap. This product is made of Chicory Root Dietary Fiber, Calcium, Vitamin C, and Natural Flavors from the peel of the orange. The texture is a mix between the fineness of regular sugar and 10x sugar. A little gritty, but it sweetens well, without the taste of aspartame or other artificial flavors.}
3 t. baking powder –{I'm switching to aluminum-free b.p., after realizing that aluminum is thought to contribute to Alzheimer's Disease. I'm slowly switching to remove unnecessary metals from my food where I can.}
sprinkle of salt –{We've started using sea salt here too –a brand called "Real Salt". I have yet to learn more about the benefits of this.}

Add all those in a bowl,

and then mix, of course. :)

Add in the wet ingredients,

which are these:

1 egg
1-2 T. oil –{use the "healthiest" you have}
1 3/4 c. Almond milk –{I just tried this for the first time, in the place of regular milk. HOLY COW, it's AWESOME! It adds a great moisture to the pancakes, and just a touch of nutty taste. My kids didn't even notice, and it is SO good for you! (In a future post I hope to share what I've learned on the benefits of using other milks vs. cow's milk.) Use 1 1/2 c. if you like thick pancakes, or 1 3/4 to 2 c. if you like thinner ones.}

And... mix!

I primed my griddle with coconut oil. (It's in 2 pics above, black container.) This adds great flavor in the place of butter or oil, and really adds the tropical flavor! After learning the benefits of adding coconut oil to my diet (cold pressed, not "refined"), I try to use it every time I can in the place of butter or margarine.

Once the griddle's going, add and cook the pancakes!

Let 'em get bubbly on top, just barely, and flip.

Somehow I always manage to end up with at least one like that... and somehow, it seems to taste better that way! ha!

Serve them up with a little applesauce or other fruit – hopefully "tropical" fruit you might have on hand. ;)

I also spread a little more coconut oil on each one and sprinkle with Just Like Sugar - or 10x sugar if you like. I found that just about 1/8 t. of the Just Like Sugar sweetens just as well as at least 2 t. of 10x sugar. The combo of the WW flour, the Just Like Sugar, and the almond milk seem to all contribute to the ability of these pancakes to strengthen my body, rather than make it crash. After eating these I end up with a full stomach AND lots of leftover energy to make it through the day. Hope you enjoy too!!! Let me know if you give them a try!

5 Mint Oreos to this recipe! Maybe I need to change my rating method...
~Jen:)

You can do WHAT???

2011-12-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

Many months ago I was introduced to a new method of addressing "healing" by a friend. It seemed somewhat peculiar, as I had never heard of it before, and I couldn't find much information on the internet to back up the validity of it.

Since then, I have searched and searched to learn more about this technique, preferably from reputable sources. In doing this searching, I believe I have found some, and I hope to share a little bit about it.

The healing technique is called Muscle Response Testing, or MRT. The idea behind it is that we have many "bodies" within us. Our physical body, our spirit body, our energy body, our emotional body, and our mental body. (I think I've captured each one!:) Each part makes up our "body". When we present something to our body which is true, the energy around our body will be able to resist pressure from an outside source. For example, when we think of something that we love, and wish to express that love, our "energy" is stronger. However, when we think of something, perhaps a food, that we don't like or that is harmful to our body, our energy will be less strong, and less resistant to pressure. When physical pressure is applied to one's arm (while they are trying to resist that pressure), the arm will hold stronger or weaker, according to the strength or weakness of the topic addressed.

Many chiropractors use this technique in determining which vertebrae is dislocated. They will hold the muscle area, and tell the client to "hold", while they push down on the client's extended arm. If the muscle/vertebrae area wants help, the arm will go down. If the muscle/vertebrae area is in good shape, it will resist the pressure, and hold strong.

I don't know who discovered it, but this testing can be done vicariously, through a "facilitator". So while thinking of you, someone could push down on my arm, and the results would present as they would for you, not for me. The overall premise of this is that since energy flows through our bodies, we are also interconnected through a giant energy framework. Somehow, this energy is able to be transferred, or read, vicariously through someone whose intention it is to act on our behalf. Perhaps this is much like the idea of wifi internet. I don't know how it works, but it does, and it is a great blessing in our lives!

Since discovering this method, I've been trying to balance it with my perspective of the spiritual realm, and figure out how the two are compatible, especially in hopes to ensure that I am aligned with God. I would hate to do anything that would cause me to follow a path that served other gods, or delineated from Him. In seeking out methods and training, I feel very assured that I have found a tool that can be so helpful to bettering one's health, and have found a "mentor" who has been willing to train me while keeping alignment with my faith in God.

After many months and classes, I feel comfortable in "practicing" the skills I have learned with those interested in working toward healing their bodies (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.). Others offer these services for a fee, and once I get better acquainted with these skills, I hope to do likewise. But for the meantime, I would like to offer anyone who is interested to be able to "experiment" with this amazing tool a chance to learn more by allowing me to practice my skills on their behalf. It has been quite a blessing in my life. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7:20)

So I'm putting up an open offer for what is called a "priority", and for the time being, I'm doing this free of charge. (If you'd like to learn more about what a priority is before contacting me, you can check out my mentor's site here.) What basically happens is you drop me an email letting me know you're interested in having a priority done for you. I email you back with a few questions; you respond, and then I'll do the testing here on my end. Once completed, I can either send an email with the results, or we can have a phone conversation at a good time for both parties.

If you're interested in trying this out, drop me an email at jenheadjen [at] gmail [dot] com. I'm grateful for anyone willing to let me practice with them while I better these skills, so please don't hesitate to ask questions or drop me an email if you're interested! This has been a wonderful tool that has helped me and my family on so many levels –spiritually, emotionally, physically and more! Just keep in mind... I'm still learning and practicing! :)

And one last comment. While this is a tool to help each of us work toward "healing", just as modern medicine and psychology are tools, I want to say how grateful I am for the one true healer, Jesus Christ, the Savior. It is through Him that real and everlasting healing occurs, and I am so grateful to celebrate His birth in a few days.

Merry Christmas to all!
~Jen:)

Faithful, Fit & Fabulous, by Connie Sokol

2011-12-08T06:00:00.001-07:00

Wow. What a wild book! And that's wild in a good way!

I was thinking of a song to listen to while writing this review, and the one that best comes to mind is "Two Pina Coladas", by Garth Brooks. I know Connie might not approve of the alcohol reference, but this is such a book with a positive outlook, one can't help but find a song with a beach theme and a "fresh start" attitude.

First I'll say I haven't finished this book, and that's due to the challenge issued from the start. This is a book that's meant to be worked through, one chapter at a time. The idea is to take 8 weeks and transform your life, reading and applying a chapter a week. I'm about three chapters in, having read the first two, and then the third is to be chosen at random as my needs dictate.

So to review the first two chapters, I'll say I was grateful for the opportunity given to review this book. There is an introduction which lets you know how the book operates, and the first chapter allows you to jump straight to action, focusing on the foundation to monumental change in one's life. Connie recommends some seriously awesome rewards (which you choose) when you complete the task you've set to do. I really appreciate that idea, as I seem to not recognize the achievements I've done. This idea is stellar.

The second chapter adds to that foundation, inviting the reader to literally pen their life's goals, aspirations, and dreams, so that they may be molded into reality. The following chapters are unique and to be chosen as the reader feels so inspired.

Thus far, I'm really enjoying this book. It would be a great gift to anyone, not just faithful, fit & fabulous women, but perhaps men too, if they can get past the daisy on the cover!:) I'm hoping that by the end of my 8 weeks I can truly say that I'm seen a transformation. I'm being faithful... :)

My only warning to the adventurous reader would be to follow Connie's advice and stop when she tells you to. Otherwise it would become a daunting adventure. This book is not one to be rushed through, rather to be taken week by week, and even day by day. It's meant to change your life, not to be read as a novel.

I would also say that a book like this is only as powerful as the reader. The ideas shared will only work as far as the reader is interested in actually trying. But Connie's approach is positive, and highly spirited. Truly wild!

If you'd like to get yourself or a loved one a copy, you can buy it at Amazon here. Connie's website is www.8basics.com, and she has all sorts of fun Christmas freebies and learning opportunities there as well! Hope you enjoy the book as much as I am!

5 Mint Oreos thus far!

~Jen:)
xoxo

p.s. - I was offered a copy of this book to review, via Tristi Pinkston's Book Tours.

A Major Shift

2011-12-02T15:40:00.002-07:00

Hi all!

I've been working on this blog for several years now, and some major changes are in order! Dan's finished up school, which leaves our family some opportunities for new growth, change, and movement! It's an exciting time, that's for sure.

Over the last year, my focus has seemed to have adjusted from doing reviews of books, stores, and products to other venues of learning. While I'll be keeping this blog open to add to from time to time, I've decided to open up another one which will more closely follow what I've been doing. Hopefully it'll allow me a new creative outlet, where those who are interested in joining in can do just that.

The new website is called "A Major Shift". My determination is to find out more of what's real in this life, and more of what matters in an eternal perspective. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure things out, and it seems that there's so much out there that is much more than meets the eye. I've also realized that my focus has been so temporal, and not so much on things that really matter. This new blog will likely focus on scripture, prophecy, and experiences or learnings of those willing to contribute, with the goal of helping boost one another to a more useful, purposeful life. While much of the focus will be on Christian beliefs, particularly with an LDS focus, I welcome any and all to read and contribute to it. There may be some book reviews that pertain to those topics, discussions on ideas that supplement the focus, and more.

So I think what I'm trying to say is, please join me! The website is in progress and due to the format, it may take some time to adjust. It doesn't appear to allow me to add a "followers" link, so hopefully I can figure that out so it can show up on your blogrolls. But I hope to see you there, and once you get a feel for it, please send me some of your own learnings so that we can post them too.

The site is located at www.amajorshift.blogspot.com.

Thanks for following me thus far in this blog! I'll keep it going, and hope to see you at the other one as well!

~Jen:)
xoxo

p.s. - Once you arrive, click on the link at the top left that says "Classic". For some reason it automatically goes to "Flipcard", which is a little less user friendly. Kinks! ;P xo

Banana Applesauce Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Flax Muffins

2011-09-30T13:32:00.000-06:00

Wow. Has it been over a month? Does anyone read this anymore? Ha! I guess it would help if I actually wrote something from time to time, eh?

I had a few requests for a muffin recipe I made yesterday. I don't know that you'll love it, but my kids ate it, despite me thinking they would adamantly refuse. And I can trust that it's pretty darn healthy, all things considered. Here's the recipe. I'll even try to throw a picture on here if I can get my camera to work. :)

I call these "Banana Applesauce Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Flax Muffins". Ooh, sounds good, right? Ha! I can just see you snickering.

Round 1:
2 black bananas (I would've used 3 bananas but my 3rd was beyond black, if you know what I mean. Banana liquer is good, but this was beyond that. Sorry for the illusion.
1/2 cup applesauce (I used all natural, home canned applesauce. Last week some friends were saying that Dr. Oz said that apple juice and I assume all apple products that are imported have odds and ends on them that we probably shouldn't consume, like arsenic. I don't have proof, but I opted for my home canned applesauce instead of the store brand that always gives me an upset stomach.)
3/8 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Round 2: (add on top of Round 1, mix above, then incorporate)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat bread flour (or you could do just 2 cups total of ww flour)
(High altitude, add 2-4 more T's more of flour, depending on humidity)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 handfuls oatmeal
3 handfuls flax seeds
1 sprinkling of flax meal over top

Round 3: the best part
aprox 1 cup chocolate chips... or more :)

I scooped them into muffin cups, and cooked them about 18 minutes. They didn't really rise more than 1/4 of what I put in, so you'll want to fill the cups decently high. It made about 14 muffins. I didn't think my kids would eat them, but thus far they actually really like them, and haven't seemed to notice that they're loaded with flax seeds. I think the chocolate chips were the draw. They even asked for seconds!

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you and your families like them!

~Jen:)
xoxo

p.s. - I emailed a pic from my phone, but so far it's stuck in cyberspace. Picture forthcoming, I hope! :)

Safe Money Millionaire, by Brett Kitchen & Ethan Kap

2011-08-20T21:15:00.000-06:00

The other day I read a financial book. Scary, I know! Me, lover of romance novels... reading a book about the stock market, or how to avoid it. Safe Money Millionaire, written by Brett Kitchen and Ethan Kap, provides a new approach to investments that is very rarely discussed.

Having been pitted against each other in their jobs, Brett and Ethan soon discovered that their boss's tactics for enhancing competition in the workplace was actually counterproductive and incredibly deceptive. Rather than continuing on with him, they decided to break off and start their own businesses together, and this book was a byproduct of their efforts.

I don't want to spoil the surprise of the book by saying too much what it's about, as the "catch" is that it's a whole new look of an age-old method of investing. And it's a great catch! Funny enough, a friend of mine had just had me listen to a similar book, which these authors referenced within their pages. I found that book annoyingly full of chichés, but the information was good.

This book, unlike that one, lacked the chichés and had good information. It's definitely a useful read for someone looking to explore wiser and safer ways of investing, which have a great track record of success.

My only criticism was on a more funny note. The authors teased for a moment about tv infomercials, but a large part of the book had the same tv infomercial feel to it. You know, the "call now and don't miss this important offer", only the great and "free" offer happens when you check out their website... which just happens to be www.safemoneymillionaire.com. ;) Now I sound like an infomercial. I trust the "free" truly is free, but like most opportunities, you have to explore it to find out just how free it ends up being.

That said, while I haven't thoroughly experienced the benefits of their services, the book convinced me enough to further look into their services. If you're looking to plan for the future - and we all should - this would be a service I'd consider a priority to investigate. And it's free. :)

4 Mint Oreos! A fast, easy read, with invaluable information. If you'd like to buy a copy, you can purchase here at amazon.com, borders.com or barnesandnoble.com.
~Jen:)

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book for review.

Sunday Grateful: a joyous occasion

2011-08-14T21:51:00.000-06:00

I've made a sincere effort to blog this summer, and sadly enough, it takes only one decent scroll down my page to see that you can cover the whole summer in one scroll. Nice job, eh? :) It's because I know you're all so busy too, so I'm trying to be brief. Ha!

Today's grateful is plentiful My #1MOM and DAD got to visit for the last 9 days. My oldest got baptized last week, and they came to join us in the occasion. It's been quite an adventurous week, and tomorrow they go back home, but we're sure glad they came. And we're glad the monkey made the decision to be baptized. What a wonderful day it was!

So grateful for all the friends and family who came to attend the occasion. Here are a few that were able to stick around for pictures.

5 Mint Oreos to the #1MOM and DAD, a young man making important decisions, and loved ones joining in to make it all the more lovely!

~Jen:)
xoxo

All that was Promised, by Vickie Hall

2011-08-05T20:32:00.000-06:00

I had the chance to read a great new book by Vickie Hall over this past Pioneer Day. It was a fitting read for such a holiday. Set in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, the book begins in 1847 with Leah and Richard Kenyon finishing up a church service. Richard is the reverend of his church, and finds himself questioning some of the tenants of the faith he is preaching.

One day while in town, he encounters a man preaching about Christ and redemption on a soapbox. Intrigued, he invites the man to continue teaching him in his home. The story unfolds, and we join Richard and Leah on their journey of exploring this new religion.

Full of ups and downs, this book is a rollercoaster of emotions, and perfect for someone wanting to learn more about Mormon pioneers, particularly those in Europe. One minute you experience spiritual highs as euphoric as any drug, while the next you endure the trials of severe persecutions. This book is a good read for someone who prefers general fiction, however it does contain some violence which was pertinent to the time, so be forewarned if you are sensitive to such things. Generally when I've read about LDS Church history, such scenes are talked about in broad terms, and the details are more heard than felt. This book lets you experience it first hand.

There was a scene which took me off guard, where there is a cold blooded murder that is described with more detail than I cared for. Beyond that, the book was an enjoyable read that was hard to put down.

4 Mint Oreos! You can find a copy here, and you can read more about Vickie at her blog here. Vickie's website is located at www.vickiehall.com. Hope you enjoy!

~Jen:)
xoxo

Fine Print Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book for review.

Your Frequency... and Your Ancestors

2011-07-13T14:09:00.002-06:00

Last night I got the chance to attend a class taught by Daniel MacDonald of Enlighten - Discover.Truth.Within that I found completely fascinating. In it was proposed the idea that we each have our own "frequency". I'd heard the idea that our bodies are "electrical" before, but the idea that we carry current (as our bodies are largely made of water) which can be measured stood out more than before.

(Photo here.)

The class was primarily on a topic called "Generational Healing". I'd heard the term before, but didn't understand hows and whys of what it meant. Basic questions posed:

1. Is it reasonable to suggest that you can inherit physical descriptions from your parents and ancestors? Blue eyes? Brown hair? Similar face shape?
2. Is it reasonable to suggest that you can inherit physical diseases from your parents and ancestors? Breast cancer? Intestinal issues? Blood type?
3. Is it then unreasonalbe to suggest that you can inherit emotional struggles from your parents and ancestors? Depression? Anxiety? Negative tendencies?

Those questions were delved into a bit more, and then the third question was discussed. The main idea challenged that through various techniques, we can heal not only ourselves of emotional issues, but also help our ancestors heal beyond the veil.

We're taught by apostles and prophets that this is the time to repent and change our lives, but after we die, we are still able and desirous to progress. Melvin J. Ballard said that

"The spirit only can repent and change, and then the battle has to go forward with the flesh afterwards. It is much easier to overcome and serve the Lord when both flesh and spirit are combined as one." ("The Three Glories," as printed in N.B. Lundwall's The Vision, p.46-47.)

Just as Paul taught that we can do baptisms for the dead (1 Cor. 15:29) because some were not able to be baptized in the flesh, I think this is why our ancestors need the help of their descendants to vicariously help them heal from their emotional struggles. It only seems logical that the two go hand in hand.

The idea of frequencies was then tied in with the fact that essential oils actually have a measurable frequency - which can be done with electronic devices - and certain oils (in this instance, White Fir) can literally and mesurably boost one's electrical frequency and help them overcome the applicable emotional issue. It's better than drugs!!! ha!!!!! Daniel pointed out how drugs will often help on the surface, but there are so many side effects that inevitably weaken the rest of the body as a result, so more drugs are needed, and the cycle continues endlessly. He proposed that many essential oils, when used in a proper dose and frequency, are so much more useful than what we've been trained to swallow with a glass of water.

This class was quite educational and informative. If anyone wants more info I'd love to talk about it more, so drop me an email if you want! Or sign up at Daniel's blog for more info on his classes, or his Nerdbook page, Enlighten - Discover.Truth.Within! 5 Mint Oreos!

~Jen:)

xoxo

Sunday Grateful: the epidural

2011-07-10T23:07:00.000-06:00

Today in Church my sweet friend brought up a question about how to have harmony in the home, especially among children. It made me think quite a bit, as just last night I read a verse of scripture that encouraged parents to teach their children to love and respect one another. I too, wonder the same thing. How do we get harmony in our home, when often the sheer nature of personalities lends so easily to discontent?

I've got a 7 year old son who turns 8 tomorrow. Nearly 8 years ago, this night, I was in excruciating pain. It all seems so fresh when I think of it, and it makes me remember how very grateful I am for epidurals.

I <3 epidurals.

Just like I don't understand how some people have children that are totally harmonious and loving, I also don't understand how some women are able to survive childbirth without an epidural. After having four kids, I will say that I am indeed grateful for such a wonderful medical intervention. And those who can birth without one are evidence of the amazing strength of women.

I wonder, perhaps, if there's a spiritual epidural to achieve harmony. Ha!

5 Mint Oreos tonight for (successful) epidurals! Having one 7 years and 364 days ago helped me survive that night! Thank heaven for them!

Hope you're all enjoying your July so far!

~Jen:)
xoxo

Stadium of Fire Choir warning

2011-07-05T00:17:00.000-06:00

Happy Independence Day!

It's my favorite day of the year, usually. But this one was crappy. I wish someone would have told me what I'm about to share. And be prepared. This is a little angry... or a lot.

NEVER participate in the Stadium of Fire choir. I did. The expectation was that I would (of course) get in, be able to sing, watch the main acts (my favorite performer of all time, Brad Paisley), and then watch the fireworks.

Not so! If you participate in the Stadium of Fire choir, here's what you should really expect:
1. 18+ grueling hours with a neurotic, bi-polar and spineless choir director. I don't care if any of my readers know him, so if you do, I'm really not sorry to say that about him. He's everything I described - one of those directors who insists you not waste his time, but has no problem wasting yours with endless antics and attempts at non-funny jokes. He's also quite ignorant of the attitude of reverence due in a house of worship.
2. Stadium of Fire officials promise decent seats. Instead they double-sell the promised seats to online buyers, and give the choir seats literally behind the stage front, and then up in the nosebleed section. We got to watch Brad Paisley through stage scaffolding, and mostly couldn't see anything at all, unless Brad or Justin walked to the front of the stage (less than 30% of the 35-45 minute show).
3. Jumbotrons work for the smaller acts. For the main act (Brad) they turned them off. Um, why??? So fun seeing Brad Paisley appear the size of a pin. Don't know if that was a BP stipulation, or contractual junk. Either way, it was bad news. I felt bad for the other people who actually paid for nosebleed seats, and still couldn't see him.
4. No viewing of the fireworks allowed. Go on stage at the beginning of the display, and stare straight front, while spineless, bi-polar choir director watches 15+ minutes of fireworks in awe. Sing for the last 60 seconds of the display, while recorded choir music is blasted over your own voice. You swear not to kick the choir director's spineless ass when you're done. Oh yes, and no jumbotrons for the fireworks either.
5. The show will be recorded for the troops around the world. However, if you'd like to see the show, you'd need access to the Armed Forces Network, and you'd have to be awake at 2am MST (4am EST) to watch it.
6. No official thanks or recognition from the Stadium of Fire producers at any point. Although in the program they did thank the composer of one of the songs we sang.

One plus: we got free bottled water. Yay.

If you like to sing or perform, STADIUM OF FIRE is NOT for any sensible, thoughtful human being. They told us literally 45 minutes before we hit the stage that we would not be allowed to watch the fireworks - AFTER we were already committed. This is the most sickening and unpatriotic example of bait and switch I've ever seen.

So to anyone with integrity, you face the question: run and hide in the crowd and ignore the duty that gained you admission, or suck it up and obey like a bunch of thoughtless ants. I tried to convince those around me to turn around as a whole and just ignore the edict. They refused. Had I not been on the front row, I would've done it anyways.

I sucked it up, and now I curse those wretched selfish power-hungry producers and the choir director for allowing everyone within a 10 mile radius watch the biggest firework display in the county, EXCEPT the morons like me who sang in the choir. Did I say the choir director is bi-polar?

Just say no to the Stadium of Fire "volunteer" choir. You'd get better seats and privileges volunteering for bathroom cleanup. Thank you for providing me the biggest expectations for my all-time favorite holiday, with the greatest let-down. You people should be ashamed of yourselves.

No Mint Oreos, except for me when I came home. There's got to be some reward for dealing with thoughtless control freaks.
~Jen

Healing The Inner Self, by Melvin Fish Review

2011-06-18T09:00:00.019-06:00

Healing the Inner Self, by Dr. Melvin Fish.

Wow. This is quite a book to explore! I was led to this book after a friend recommended it. I'm not even sure how to begin the review on this one! ha! It's very unique, and has information that only those ready to read it should read. If you don't have an open or inquisitive mind, this is not for you. If you do, read on!

About a year ago I was introduced to "energy work", where a facilitator is able to determine mental and physical issues with a person by using what's called "applied kinesiology". Some people more simply call this "muscle testing", and the principle behind it is that our spirits, which operate our bodies, are made of energy, and when our spirit asserts that something is true, the energy about our spirit will be stronger than when it asserts something that is not true. (This is also the principle used in lie-detector testing.) Different modalities, or methodologies use muscle testing in different ways, and this book explores the spiritual side of things which affect one's physical conditions.

It examines the world of spirits, and how one's negative issues are often caused by negative spiritual beings, and by causing these beings to be dislodged from our spirits and go to a place of light, one can overcome the issues that plagued them.

I found it a fascinating read. There were many questions that I had that were left unanswered, so I would recommend that if this is something that interests you, go ahead and buy the second book while you're at it and save on shipping! ha! That one's called "Healing the Inner Self - Clinical Examples".

This book explores more specific questions and answers that the first book alludes to, but doesn't fully explore. Both books are a bit pricey, seeing that they seem to be self published and spiral bound, but I doubt this is one that you'll find in your local library.

After reading both of these books, I attended a seminar taught by Dr. Fish. It too, was fascinating. I purchased several materials there, and found that the DVD sold on his website covers much of what he covers in the seminar. There were some things presented at the seminar that I have found that I don't agree with, but there was much too that I learned that I found I did appreciate learning. And to me, that's part of the glory of learning new things.

So I give this book 4 Mint Oreos. Great info, but a little confusing at times. Let me know if you check it out!
~Jen:)
xoxo

Sunday Grateful: Peonies, Cake Pops and Belly Sleeping

2011-06-12T22:05:00.002-06:00

Today I took a moment to flop down on my stomach to think about what was in store for the day. As I did, I realized that the first thing I wanted to be grateful for today was the fact that I can sleep (and lay down) on my belly. A few months over a year ago, I couldn't sleep face down, thanks to a baby being in there. I LOVE sleeping on my stomach. It seems to be the only way I can fall asleep.

This week has been fun. I got to go on a few adventures with some friends, and part of the adventure included one of them surprising me with a bouquet of some of these:

PEONIES!!! I absolutely love peonies. After letting them sleep in water, I woke up the next morning (yesterday) to find them looking like this:

Oh, lusciousness. It warms my heart and soul to see them. They remind me of home. My mom had two peony bushes in our front yard for all my years growing up, and although hers were a darker shade of pink, something about them just is home to me. I am so grateful!

One more surprise when I was out with my friend. We came back to her place and she surprised me with these:

CAKE POPS!!! These are gluten-free cake pops. They're basically delicious balls of cake, covered in chocolate (or candy coating), and put on a stick. And there is something to be said that they're made with gluten-free flours. They are incredibly smooth, and I crave them. Someday when it's not Sunday, I'll post a review about where to get them!

But what a surprise. It just about brought me to tears. Too many surprises in one day can do that to a girl, I guess. :) So thankful for cake pops!

Hope you all have a wonderful and blessed week!
~Jen:)
xoxo

The Wanderer Review

2011-06-11T09:00:00.010-06:00

I've got another book review! Yay! This one's for The Wanderer, Volume 1 of the Shadows of Brierley Series, by Anita Stansfield.

The book starts out with the main character, Ian MacBrier, wandering the streets of London. He wakes up from a drunken stupor, realizing that he has little money and little strength to on, but something in him lures him to stand up and figure out what to do next. He wanders into the streets in the sunlight, where he encounters two men proselyting in the streets. Something they say hits a nerve in him, and he purchases the book they're selling, while their words inspire him to spend his last few monies to purchase a carriage ride home to Scotland.

Enter Wren, the woman he loves who led him to wander away from his home in the first place. And the love story begins, as Ian walks back into her door, and the two figure out what to do next to heal their hearts and histories.

One thing I loved about this book (and this series) is that it examines the mental issue of schizophrenia. That's all I'll say about it though. No spoilers allowed!

A moving book, and the beginning of a series of four books, this is also a continuation of Anita's book, "Towers of Brierley". I loved that book, and always hoped that the story would continue. And here it does! A fabulous read, I give it 5 Mint Oreos! Hope you love it too!

~Jen:)
xoxo

Sunday Grateful: The Book of Mormon

2011-06-05T08:00:00.031-06:00

Since I'm kicking off my Summer Reading Series, I thought I'd start with my most favorite book of all time. It's this one:

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I absolutely love this book. I think more than any other book, I've read this one the most, perhaps countless times. The first time I started reading this on my own was when I was 13, in 8th grade. We had this designated reading time, called "DEAR: Drop Everything And Read." I felt inspired to read this book during that 20 minute block of time. I got teased by some kids at school, who recognized it as a religious book, but I didn't care.

(I looked high and low for an online pic of this 1963 edition of the BoM. I couldn't find any that weren't copyrighted. So this is a picture I took. Feel free to copy it and share it wherever you want, so long as it's for good!;)

The Book of Mormon is a compilation of books, much like the Bible is a compilation of books. It doesn't serve to replace the Bible by any means, just like if I share my thoughts of Jesus, they don't replace your thoughts of Jesus. Just like the Bible testifies of Jesus Christ, The Book of Mormon testifies of Christ. It was tough reading from the start, in that the language was challenging for a 13 year old. But I felt compelled to keep plowing through, whether or not I understood it.

Now that I understand the language a whole lot more, I love it all the more. The stories resonate in me, and I learn something every time I read. Up until recently, I used to read novel-style, from beginning to end, but lately I find that I very much enjoy just pondering where to jump in. Inevitably I am guided to a particular area where I find something that enlightens my day. I absolutely love it.

I hope if you haven't tried this book yet, you give it a try! There are free copies available here to people all over the world, in countless languages, and I'd love to hear from you if you try it out! It's definitely got something in it for everyone. And my witness of it is that it's true. Did I say I absolutely love it?

It gets way more than 5 Mint Oreos in my book. Maybe 47? But I don't think I can truly settle on a solid number. And if I had to trade having Oreos for having a copy of this book in my life, hands down I'd take the book. I hope you love it!

~Jen:)
xoxo

Summer Reading Series

2011-06-04T21:31:00.000-06:00

So it's been awhile, once again, since I've written anything. Life has been busy, as it always is. I've wanted to make a concerted effort to make a web presence, so I've decided to make a goal of doing a personal Summer Reading Series. Two summers ago I joined in a reading contest, and won, for having read the most books. This summer I'm going to do my own, however there won't be any prizes. :) Just reviews from yours truly.

I've got a bit of a lineup on what I plan to read, and how often I plan to post. I'll keep that a secret. But I'd love for you to share books that you're reading as we go along. And if you want to share a guest review, drop me an email, available on my profile page.

I hope you're all having a great start to the summer! Thanks for reading, and God bless!

~Jen:)

Naptime Bliss and Cascade

2011-04-07T22:15:00.000-06:00

I just had an epiphany! I totally figured out why I can't seem to find time for anything related to social media.

It's the monkeys! One assumes that having kids tends to busy up one's time. But just two days ago, I realized why I haven't blogged or Nerdbooked regularly for a long, long while.

There's no down time! From 6:30 am to 8 pm, it is constant little shadow. Which is lovely and full of sweet laughs, rodeos, and not-so-fun tantrums, but that also means no tolerance from the little chiefs (or chieveses?;) when it comes to having face time with the computer screen.

But. Two days ago, I had a revelation. I realized my baby was getting too much sleep in the day, thereby affecting his nighttime sleep habits, so I cut out one nap. And now... (big drumroll) the babies sleep at the SAME TIME!!!!! (Insert Hallelujah chorus here!) Granted, now the younger one wakes up the toddler sooner than he normally would wake up, but for two days I have gotten at least 60 minutes of down time! HALLELUJAH!!! So perhaps you'll see a bit more of me on here.

Other thing. Since the summer, many states changed their laws to allow no dishwashing detergent to have phosphates in it, our dishes have gone to crap. They got this nasty white film on them, and even hand-washing after the dishwasher took its turn was a fruitless cause. We tried many chemical remedies: vinegar, rinse aid, heavy pre-washing, and even different varieties of dishsoap, but the buildup kept on keeping on. Until we tried this:

Cascade Complete. Completely saved my dishes, especially my multitude of plasticwear. One needs plasticwear with 4 kids who like to throw things... like mine! :) I don't know if the ActionPacs have a different formula than the regular soap, but we've got these, and we're going to keep on getting these. They just plain work.

5 Mint Oreos to Cascade Complete. If your dishes went down the drain with this new legislation, give this stuff a go for a few washes. Let me know what you think!

~Jen;)
xoxo!

Journey of Honor, a Love Story, by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

2011-03-17T16:05:00.001-06:00

I actually finished a book! ha! Just kidding. It's been awhile since I've been able to finish a published novel, and I'm thrilled to be able to share a new one with you. This is part of a blog tour for the book, Journey of Honor, a Love Story, by Jaclyn M. Hawkes.

(So here's where the disclaimer comes in that I received a free copy of the book in order to provide an unbiased review, which I shall do.:)

As the title connotes, this is a love story. A sweet romance. And how I love a romance! The story begins in 1844 Georgia with a young man named Trace, who is forced to leave behind a promising medical career to pursue a course far different than he expected. His adopted brother, a former slave, begins experiencing severe trials, and add that upon Trace's unwanted advances from a sleazy little neighbor girl, Trace feels he has to escape. He and his brother, Mose, leave for the midwest, and become teamsters in westward-moving caravans.

Turn the page to the year 1848, where Trace and Mose encounter a lovely Dutch immigrant named Giselle, on her way to Utah with her grandparents, to join the Mormons settled there. As luck has it, they end up traveling in the same caravan, and to avoid some nasty trouble, Giselle and Trace are married.

The bulk of the story revolves around this trip, and how a completely plutonic relationship turns into something more. The traveling aspect is very fun to read, and the romantic aspect is addicting. Lots of enjoyment to be had in this one, so if you're looking for a good, clean romance, check this book out!

I do have a few observances for those with a critiquing mind. The story itself was so addicting I couldn't put it down. But there were a few improvements that could be made, and on a positive note, a sequel would be in order.

Improvements that I noticed were more for the editors, in the sense that there were some congruency issues. First, Giselle would often speak with a thick Dutch accent, and illustrate that she didn't speak English well. But then other conversations would start flowing and suddenly her English was perfectly fine. Along this same vein, there were often conversations that seemed quite lengthy, where one character would go on an awful long time before the person they were speaking to would interject or react in any way. Those parts just didn't feel as natural as some others.

My only other critique was that there was a whole lot of cuddling done with very little to come of it. I believe there were about two or three kisses in the book, leaving me feeling a bit unfulfilled, especially with the level of intensity of the feelings expressed. I'm not saying it should have over-the-top love scenes, but (SPOILER here!) I was expecting at least one steamy kiss at the end... and (last spoiler here) the end was too dang fast! I'm calling on a sequel, where we find a little more about how the couple really ends up.

Anyways, all that said, it was a great book. I give Journey of Honor 4 Mint Oreos! You can find it at amazon.com. Hope to hear about a follow-up book from Jaclyn!

~Jen:)
xoxo

200... and a Lot Sad

2011-03-13T22:27:00.000-06:00

So I haven't written too much lately. For some reason the writing bug has left me, and even though I've had some fun things to share, I haven't felt much like a social butterfly. Perhaps I needed something emotional to give me a kick in the pants.

Well this is my 200th post, and it's also Sunday. I should write something I'm thankful for, and despite being a lot sad about it, I'm thankful to have been the pianist for the kiddos at my church. Today I got "released" from being the Primary Pianist, and I'm just more than a little sad. For more than 2 1/2 years I've been able to sit behind the piano for two hours each Sunday, and the news today kind of came as a blow. I didn't expect it, although I did foresee some changes coming in the organization due to one of the ladies moving out of our congregation. Funny, the leader who called me to tell me I would be released today told me I would be "getting a break". But I LOVE playing with the kiddos. I do believe I did more than a minute or so of whining to him. And the chorister I LOVE as well. It was like synergy, what we had going. Helena (our chorister) was just so fun to work with, and I've never quite felt such joy with a church responsibility. One of my favorite things each week was seeing her direct "Popcorn Popping", with each half of the roomful of kids popping up and down, back and forth, and me trying to play the music as fast as the kids were popping. True fun to be had.

Just before the meeting closed, the kids got to sing one of my favorite songs. Irony was, I still had to play the piano! hahaha! I chose this song called "We Are Different". My favorite line is this:

I love you, and you love me

And that's the way it is supposed to be.

But no more primary piano playing, at least for the time being. And I'm extremely sad. But very grateful to a merciful God in heaven who has allowed me such opportunities, and hopefully some even more fabulous ones down the road. That's something good to look forward to while I cry my guts out once my eyes hit my pillow.

5 Mint Oreos to Helena and my Primary gang. I'll miss you lots.
~Jen:'( hehehe

Happy Birthday, Swagbucks!

2011-02-21T10:07:00.002-07:00

So... I love Swagbucks! If you haven't heard of Swagbucks, they're a search site that allows you to earn "bucks" for doing searches, and so much more! You can trade in those bucks for free stuff, like gift cards, or online money. I've been able to purchase at least $65 worth of Amazon gift cards, all thanks to using Swagbucks. (That's translated to a LOT of books for reviews!) And I've even saved money at the grocery store (like $1.00 off any brand cheese...), thanks to their online coupons! And you can print them twice!

Well, on February 28th, Swagbucks is celebrating their 3rd birthday,

(HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWAGBUCKS!!!:)

and the celebration they have planned for that day is going to be HUGE! But between now and then, if you haven't signed up, you can get an additional 50 Swagbucks (in addition to the 30 you get just for signing up) by using this code: 3rdBirthday77. That's 80 Swagbucks, just for signing up between now and the 28th! YAY!!!

They're also featuring a bunch of Swag Codes (which you can redeem instantly for free stuff), a new look and feel for the Swagbucks Blog and the launch of two new features, one of which will redefine the way you can use their search function. You definitely won't want to miss it, so be sure that you're on the site bright and early the morning of the 28th for your chance to earn big and be a part of the biggest birthday celebration on the web!

Here are some fun things you can do to earn Swagbucks:

search the web
watch videos
play online games
shopping!
printing and using coupons (my favorite!)
surveys
refer friends - when they win bucks, you win too! (up to 1,000 bucks!)

Anyways... I hope you can benefit from Swagbucks like I have! Let me know if and when you score something big!!! 5 Mint Oreos for Swagbucks!!!

~Jen:)

xoxo

Toys 'R Us and Hasbro Bait & Switch, False Advertising

2011-02-19T12:50:00.001-07:00

I just got a reject back from a Hasbro Rebate. I'm a little livid. Here's why.

On Thanksgiving Day, Toys 'R Us opened up their store at 10 pm. My mom was in town, and wanted to jump on the Black Friday sales, and apparently Toys 'R Us now has Black Thursday. I joined her for the fun of it, since I'm normally pretty Bah Humbug about shopping on these days. We were there until 2 am. It was nuts, and I will never do it again, for more than one reason.

Several of the sales promotions were lined up on palates in the middle of the aisles. Many of the first were for Hasbro games. Connect 4x4, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Memory... some of these were even set up into two-packs for supposed savings. Hanging on the side of the saran wrap on these palates were tear-pads for Rebate forms, implying that these Rebates applied to the items they were connected to.

I purchased a two-pack of Hungry Hungry Hippos and Memory. And grabbed a Rebate form. I also got a Connect 4x4, and grabbed a second Rebate form, in case I messed up.

Reading all the fine print, I was sure these would qualify for the Rebate. I mean, the tear pads were ATTACHED to the SARAN WRAP!!!

Here is the extent of the fine print, relating to what qualifies: "Rebate offer valid only on the versions of games pictured on the other side of the certificate and listed to the left. Offer NOT VALID on themed versions, character versions, electronic versions, or any other versions of the pictured games unless specifically listed to the left." Check, check, and check. I had no themed versions, character versions, or anything special. All was pictured, or so I thought.

Today I got a rejection letter from Hasbro. It says:
"This rebate program does not cover:
1. Special 2-packs... are not eligible for rebates. While the individual games are eligible, the 2-packs are not.
2. Special versions of the base games..."

There was more, but it didn't apply to my case. I think this is garbage. First, when you attach a Rebate form to a product, that IMPLIES that it pertains to that product. This was both a Toys 'R Us and a Hasbro promotion. Second, just because two products are put together does not mean you're not make them a different product than if you purchased them separate. Hungry Hungry Hippos is STILL Hungry Hungry Hippos, when packaged with Memory.

Needless to say, I won't be falling for their sales gimmicks any more. This qualifies for bait and switch AND false advertising, in my opinion. Even the sales prices taped to the palates showed an end price of what you'd be paying in the end, minus the rebate. I can guarantee I'm not the only sore loser who got a rejection letter in the mail over this one. But I can say that I'm not the only one who will likely not shop there again. All over a stingy $8.00. Nice job, TRU and Hasbro!!!

No Oreos for you!
~Jen

CSN Giveaway Winner!

2011-02-16T12:10:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the delay in posting a winner! The winner is comment #20, by Mrs. M!!! CONGRATULATIONS MRS. M!!! You'll want to write me at jenheadjen [at] gmail [dot] com to claim your prize!

Thanks so much to everyone for entering! Have a great day!

~Jen:)
xoxo

New CSN Stores Giveaway!

2011-02-08T09:51:00.001-07:00

Hi all!

I've got a new giveaway for you! It's a $35 Gift Card to CSN Stores! Love them.

CSN Stores features so many different items. Did you know they have an online store for such things as adjustable bar stools?

When I was giving my little boy a haircut the other day, I could've really used one of those! He kept wiggling and I couldn't quite get the right angle of cut, even with the clippers. One of these adjustable ones would've been fabulous to pop him up high enough for a decent cut. (And who wouldn't want their own personal amusement park ride?:)

And apparently CSN Stores has a new daily deal site, called Joss & Main. Sites like this can be fun. Just for signing up, you get a $15 credit to shop with. When you refer friends who shop, they give you more credits, and before you know it, you've got a ton of store credit to buy freebies with. Let me know if you check it out!

On to the contest! Entering will be easy. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Feel free to choose any or all of these entries:

Entry #1: Check out those adjustable barstools, and let me know which is your favorite.
Entry #2: Share this contest with a friend, whether in person, via email, blog, Nerdbook, Twitter, or wherever! Let me know how you shared! (If you do more than one, leave more than one comment.)
Entry #3: "Follow" my blog! Let me know that you did!

Contest will run until next Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 6 pm MST. If your email address isn't listed in your profile info, please check back on Wednesday, 2/16/11 to see if you've won -- or just follow my blog to see the winning announcement! Winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize before I pick another.

Good luck, everyone!
~Jen:)
xoxo

p.s. - I was not compensated for offering this contest. ;)

OOOH!!! Pick me, PICK ME!!!

2011-01-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

Guess what! I'm so excited! For once I get a positive benefit out of having Puke Room! I'm a FINALIST in the For The Mommas Tame Your Stockpile Giveaway! I'm so excited I could cry! I know, I know. I haven't won. But the winner gets a $500 Gift Card to One Kings Lane, and there are runners up gifts too! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! I LOVE For The Mommas - this lady is amazing in finding deals all over the place. I would dare say she's The Deal Queen. Yes, The Deal Queen.

(My Puke Room)

So here is my shameless begging for you all to take a second and click here and put a little checkmark in the box by my name! (Jen:) My gratitude comes your way for this little bit of time spent!

Hope everyone's having a great week so far!
~Jen:)
xoxo!

Still Love Smith's & a CSN Giveaway

2011-01-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

I just had to share... I ran to sssssssSmith's after working out tonight to exchange some Ricola cough drops. We scored nine bags a few months ago when they had a sssssuper sale, but they only had the nasty yellow Echinacea flavor, and my kids hate it. So they wanted the "pink" ones, and if not pink, then the "red" bag.

When I got to the store, the Customer Service desk was closed, but they still allowed me to go swap out my bags... without a receipt! So fast, so easy. I love Smith's.

Another quick thing. Over at Women Who Do It All, they're doing a CSN Stores $55 gift card giveaway! It runs for a week, so be sure to check it out!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Oh, and check out the playlist. The last song is the Bruno Mars one. I love it. 5 Mint Oreos for all the above! ;)

~Jen:)
xoxo

XOXO

2011-01-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

The break's over!

I'm having a hard time returning to the old grindstone. Anyone else having this problem? My kid's been in school for a week now, and I still wish he were on vacation. Ugh!

I think this is the first I've felt this way about vacations. Usually I'm all over the monkey going back to school. But we actually had a great Christmas vacation, and I'm sad it's over. But excited about this new year ahead, and what it will bring.

Any new resolutions worth sharing? I resolve to put xoxo at the end of my signature. I know some other famous Jen bloggers do it, but I sign that way in my journal, so why not on the blog? So there. xoxo.

~Jen:)
xoxo

Who's at the Door, by Dan Harrington

2010-12-28T00:00:00.002-07:00

Book review time! This one is part of a blog tour, and I'm happy to say that I'm early in the rundown, so I don't have to stress how my review compares to other reviewers. (Not sure why that always stresses me out!) Whew!

"Who's at the Door?" is quite an anomaly, in my opinion. Published by Cedar Fort, Inc. (CFI), I was initially unsure of what market it was targeted toward. I was told it was written by a man who was investigating the LDS faith, but who did not convert. Interesting take! My confusion came in knowing that within the last year CFI had been in the news for publishing a story that hit Oprah's book club. But historically, in my mind, CFI was a Utah publisher that targeted directly and primarily to an LDS audience, much like Covenant Communications or Deseret Book. So when this book begins referring to things about the LDS faith that most members already knew, I began to believe that the target audience was likely not LDS, despite CFI's history.

The book is Dan Harrington's memoir about his experiences with LDS missionaries. He initially meets with the missionaries to both learn more about their faith, but the hidden motive is to get the juice for a newspaper story. He ends up getting the story, and titles it "Men on a Mission". (Quite frankly, I think this would have been a better title for this book! Or "Man on a Mission"... :) Most of the book goes over Dan's quest for understanding of this unknown faith, which to a Catholic, has some extreme views. His main point of disagreement ends up being a point that many members don't even understand, which is the LDS view of "exaltation": that all men have the potential and capability to become like God.

As a former LDS missionary, I found this a truly unique read. It was interesting to get a view of how non-Mormons view Mormons. What was refreshing was that I didn't feel the need to defend myself while reading, and that Dan gave the missionaries - and their message - the benefit of the doubt at every turn. He even drew close to applying to be their personal bodyguard at times. (Just kidding. But it's true.;)

Overall, I very much enjoyed the book, and finished the bulk of it in one sitting. Even my 7 year old wanted to read it. The one thing that saddened me, however, was the striking fact that while Dan connected with some of the missionaries he met, there was very little apparent connection to anyone in the ward he was visiting. This is the challenge of missionary work as a whole, and can be accredited to both the investigator and the members themselves. As missionaries come and go, the people they teach often seem to come and go with them. To me, it stands as a hallmark of faith when someone can stick around beyond "their" missionaries' transfers to another area, which is essentially what Dan did. It's not an easy task, especially when you're the only one doing it, or if you're doing at at the disapproval of friends or family. Whether or not Dan or anyone investigating the LDS Church ever convert to the faith, the issue should be about the true message and belief of the gospel of Jesus Christ, not how much they do or don't connect with the missionaries who teach them. To me, that was the moral of this story.

I give it 5 Mint Oreos! A very thought-provoking read, suitable for Mormons and non-Mormons alike!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, and I hope you all have a fabulous new year as well!
~Jen:)

Happy Ramahanakwanzmas

2010-12-16T14:37:00.001-07:00

So, my sweet friend just posted something interesting on her Nerdbook wall about saying "Happy Holidays", and it really hit a nerve. It seems so many people are concerned about being politically correct, that actually celebrating and enjoying whatever holidays we celebrate around December is now something that needs to be "sensitively" done. How exhausting!

I'm weary of having to worry about offending someone. Brigham Young said, "He who takes offense when none was intended is a fool. He who takes offense when it was intended is usually a fool." I love that quote.

Why not celebrate all holidays equally, if you want to show respect to those of differing heritage? I truly don't get offended when I see people with "Happy Hanukkah" written on the back window of their car. I think it's sweet, and it makes me feel good inside. Nor would I get offended to see a Kwanzaa stamp at the post office. Celebrate it baby! {"I LOVE THE BLACK PEOPLLLLLE!"-Jerry MacGuire}

That said, I'm gonna live it up for Christmas. I'm going to say "Merry Christmas" to the checker at whatever store who says it to me. And if by chance I run into someone wishing me a Happy Hanukkah, I'll wish them one back! Let's celebrate, people! It's about good things! Instead, it's turned into this nightmare worry-fest of "What if they're Jewish and I offend them?" Please. If you're Christian and wish someone a Happy Kwanzaa, I don't think Jesus would be offended.

I'm so sick of being politically correct, and the fact that easily offended, thin skinned people have hijacked every religious celebration in this country. I'm sick of lawsuits over people getting hot coffee spilled on them, states outlawing Oreos because of sat-fats, and people telling me the heck what to do and what I can't say! Get over yourselves! Let people live how they want, so long as it doesn't infringe upon the rights of others, and enjoy Christmas and whatever other holiday to its fullest. Me enjoying Christmas does not infringe upon another's right to enjoy their special holiday. Can we PLEASE stop being so easily offended?

Happy Hanukkah,

Happy Kwanzaa,

and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I'm going to celebrate Jesus' birth, try not to blow the bank, and take some great pictures of my kids to laugh it up with in 10 years. I wish you all the same for whatever holiday you plan to celebrate.

~Jen:)

p.s. - Am I missing an important holiday? If so, best wishes to you for a wonderful unmentioned holiday.

CSN Stores $35 Gift Card Giveaway Winner!

2010-12-13T21:06:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone!

I have our winner! This contest winner is from comment #2, by Diane, of DB Impressions! Congratulations Diane!

Many thanks to everyone who participated, commented, followed, and shared this contest! Stay tuned - we'll have some more fun contests soon! Have a great night all!

~Jen:)

Rite Aid ROCKS!

2010-12-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

I LOVE you, Rite Aid. You make all my couponing dreams come true!

Rite Aid has been on fire the past week and a half. They had a serious 3-day Black Friday (and Saturday and Sunday) deal where SO much was free! I missed ALL of it... so sad. But tonight I hit the store with this week's ad, 15 minutes before closing time. Oh, the blissful joy of sales and well stocked shelves.

Here's what I had in hand. 5 Hershey's coupons from my 5 Sunday papers, to be used for $1.00/2 bags of Hershey/Reese's candy. 3 $1.00 off coupons I was able to print by watching Video Values videos on Rite Aid's website. {When you watch enough videos (they're usually between 15-60 seconds), you can earn a $4.00 off $20.00 coupon... which I also had in hand.} Lastly I had $9.00 in UP Rewards, which I earned from buying diapers at a steal of a deal two weeks ago. This totals $21 in coupons and UPRs. Here's the deal.

Hershey's/Reese's 8.0-8.5oz. bags were 2/$5.00. You get a $2 UPR when you buy 2 bags. So I bought 10 bags, to total $25.00. I would get back $10 in UPRs, which I can use on my next visit. So $25 minus $21 in coupons = $4.00+tax.

There was also a deal that when you buy 10 Hershey/Reese's/Cadbury bars, you get a $3.00 UPR. {Yes, I know you thinking I'm a candy hog. Did I ever tell you I used to work in the Reese's factory? People would say they'd get sick of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, working with them day in and day out. I never did.} So I found 10 bars that I liked {WHATCHAMACALLIT!!! Those are usually not to be found under .50!}, and loaded them in. Hence my total coming to a whopping $9.78. I doubled what I intended to spend, but I figured it wasn't too shameful.

In the end, I spent $9.78 and got back $13 in UPRs!!! Whooo-hoooo!!!!! Go Team Rite Aid!!!

5 Super fat Oreos! Or should I say, 5 Peanut Butter Cups? ;)
~Jen:)

p.s. - for all you folks in UT, Smith's is rounding up coupons this Mon.-Wed.!!! Start your engines!

CSN Stores $35 Gift Card Giveaway!

2010-11-30T23:19:00.001-07:00

Hi friends!

I hope you all had a marvelous Thanksgiving! And if you aren't in the US, I hope you've had a great weekend! ;) We survived a trip to Caldwell, ID. Talk about crazy roads. Idaho is a dangerous place to go in the winter, that's for sure! Cheers to all of you who get around day in and day out, September through May!

Anyways, we're back and settled in from a fabulous weekend, and I have some great news to share! Right here at JenHeadJen we're hosting a CSN Stores Giveaway! It's for a $35 gift card, which can be used at any of their 200+ online stores. They seriously have just about anything out there. Does your honay just happen to have a drop leaf table on their Christmas wish-list? Yeah, they have those. And just about everything else, in 4 different colors, and 20 different models! (Maybe a little exaggeration, but they have a LOT!)

So, for the giveaway... I want to give lots of chances to enter, and feel free to do any or all of these!

Entry 1: Be a follower of this blog by clicking the "Follow" button over there on the left sidebar where you see my followers' faces. Let me know in a comment that you did so.
Entry 2: Share this giveaway with a friend, and let me know in a separate comment who and how you did!
Entry 3: Share this giveaway on Nerdbook (ah hem) I mean Facebook. Let me know you did.
Entry 4: If you blog, share this giveaway as a blog post! Nothing fancy - short and sweet will do. Leave me a link so I can check you out.
Entry 5: Tell me what you'd buy at CSN Stores with your gift card if you win!

Contest will end on Monday, Dec. 13th at 6 pm MST, and winner will be announced here as a new blog post. I'll notify the winner via email if they have one listed on their profile page. If not, you'll need to check back or "subscribe" to find out. If the winner doesn't claim their prize, I'll announce a new one within 48 hours of contest close.

Good luck everyone! Can't wait to see what you'd pick with your gift card!

~Jen:)

p.s. - a few disclaimers: 1) Apparently the US Gov't says I now I have to tell you whether or not I get paid for this giveaway and rave review. Soooo, I didn't. This is all for you. And I just happen to love them, so endorsing their website is genuine. 2) Gift card does not cover shipping. Keep that in mind. ;)

November 22 Grateful: Clean Roads with man-made Avalanches!

2010-11-22T11:27:00.001-07:00

Last night my parents were 6 hours away. They drove from Pennsylvania, heading towards Utah, and got 6 hours away. Then something happened, and they got stuck between mile marker 215 and 220 on I-80 in Wyoming. 6 HOURS AWAY! Oh no!

They ended up stuck in a traffic jam for at least 6 hours. Apparently traffic was stagnant for miles. They said they moved no more than 50 feet the whole time. Fortunately they had a charged cell phone (the truck they drove had no charger port) and a truckload of cereal, Pop-tarts and Kellogg's products.

Having called multiple times through the day, we tried finding out what was the cause of the jam. They had assumed there was an accident, or the road conditions were just holding them up. Sure enough, of all the days to hit the Rocky Mountain areas, they hit it when we get the first more-than-a-squall snowstorm. And sure enough, they get stuck, just hours away. Bah!

(This is a current view of Wyoming's interstate map. You can click it and see the lineup of current conditions... just in case you too are stuck in traffic on I-80 at mile marker 215.)

I remember a similar event like this happening on I-81/78 in Pennsylvania a few years ago. It was scandalous. Except that one lasted well over 24 hours. Ed Rendell (the PA gov.) was even called in the National Guard to help the unprepared, who were stuck in snow and running out of gas, thereby freezing to their untimely deaths. Just kidding about the death part. But it made BIG news at the time. Fortunately my parents are safely back on the road, and fortunately there were decent hotels nearby to hole up in. And boy oh boy am I grateful they had an AVALANCHE load of cereal to keep them fed. Heck, they could've fed the whole lineup with that!

So for today's grateful, I'm grateful for clear roads, salt to ice them with, and sunshine to melt it all away! Praying for safe travels for my "Bob and Pops"! (AKA Pappy and Wawa.;)

4 Oreos for good roads. 1 Oreo for slick ones. At least the road's there to drive on, right?

~Jen:)

p.s. - Have you ever been stuck in a traffic jam like this? What did you do?

MEGA Super Couponing Swagbucks FRIDAY!!!

2010-11-18T22:01:00.002-07:00

Oh, I have some INCREDIBLE news to share! I'm just beside myself! I'm screaming from the chair-tops.

Swagbucks just got better. Is that even possible? (For those of you who don't know what Swagbucks is, see here.)

[I must pause to thank my 2 new friends who joined Swagbucks, Amy W. and Desarie R.! Thank you so much ladies!!! I hope this proves a blessing to you!]

So, back to the news. I was meandering around my Swagbucks page, and discovered a new link they have. On the left sidebar, there's a rundown of "Ways to Earn". From searching, watching ads, viewing special offers, and more, they added one called...

COUPONS!!!!!

Anyone know what that means?! It means that when you print AND redeem their coupons, you get 10 SWAGBUCKS! And these aren't hokey coupons. These are SERIOUS coupons, powered by coupons.com. Coupons.com is one of the best sources for online coupons, often hosting coupons for $3.00 off Huggies diapers (which is the best I've seen), $1.00 of any kind of cheese, etc. Thanks to Coupons.com, I've been able to get serious steals of deals. So to see that they've teamed up with Swagbucks... this is SERIOUS business! And hopefully some serious increases in Swagbuck earnings!

WhooHoo!!!!!

Oh, can you tell I'm excited? If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks yet, be sure to check it out! Here's how it works.

When you sign up, you basically use their website for basic searches. You can even use it to navigate to your email or Nerdbook account. If you download their toolbar, you get an additional 1 Swagbuck for every search you do. Every few searches, you'll win Swagbucks, which can be accumulated and cashed in for online cash or gift cards. My favorite is for amazon.com. (And if you sign up for the newsletter at Pinching Your Pennies, they often alert you to great Amazon deals, which are on fire once Thanksgiving hits.) This year I've earned at least $65 in Amazon gift cards... and I'm hoping to rack up some more in the next few weeks!

Oh. And don't forget. Tomorrow's a MEGA SWAGBUCKS FRIDAY! You can earn up to 50 Swagbucks in one search! Great stuff!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed that great news! Now I just need to get my printer back up and working so I can crank these babies out! Wishing you all a great week before Thanksgiving!

5 Oreos!

~Jen:)

Grateful for November 9,10,11,12: My Eclectic Puke Room

2010-11-12T12:57:00.002-07:00

So I'm laughing. This is going to be one heck of an eclectic post. First, I'm doing a quick November Grateful catchup.

Among my four monkeys, one of them has had some illness of some sort for the past, oh, 9 days or so. I tend to quarantine the sick child with hopes of not sharing it, so needless to say it's been a slow past 9 days. Because of all the "ins and outs" of having sick kids, my grateful thing for Tuesday will hopefully need no explanation.

Tues., Nov. 9th grateful: my washing machine.
Wed.., Nov. 10th grateful: my washing machine.
Thurs., Nov. 11th grateful: my washing machine.

Should I add that Dan Baby used it to wash the entire jersey stock of the Utah Flash last night and this morning? He was supposed to take them to the laundromat but was too tired. Oh, how we love our washing machine.

Now it's Nov. 12th, and I'm still doing laundry. I guess today I should be grateful for the dryer, since without it, we would have some frozen, clean clothes. :) But I'm also grateful to have stumbled upon a new blog to follow. When I found it a few months ago, the author was doing something called "WOW!", and basically invited people to include a new and unique word in a blog post each week. The goal is to use it as many times as possible in a natural way. It seemed like too much to try at the time, but the word she used that week was one I still remember: effervescent. I love that word.

This week, she wrote about this week was her "Puke Room". It's a room in her house where all the stuff winds up that doesn't get put away. It made me laugh, especially since that's seemed to be the theme of my week! When I'm not washing clothes and sheets, I'm attempting to conquer my eclectic clutter. In fact, to illustrate, I took a few pictures.

Here's my counter. This spot on my counter seems to never be overcome. Or should I say, it's always overcome?

(See that little aqua box on stage left? That's my organizing box...)

Here's a stack of tubs filled with clothes that no longer fit one of my boys. They're also clothes awaiting the next boy to grow into. I'd put them in the shed, but since there are always clothes going in them, what's the point? Really? The ultimate downside is, they wind up being a catch-all for all the other crap that passes by.

Here's a pile of mail, coupons, and homework pages. What's that doctor? You need my insurance card? Uh...

And lastly, my Puke Room. Yes, this is where it all goes. Boxes and boxes of clutter. No matter how many times I clean and de-clutter, these tubs always remain to re-catch it all. Quite an eclectic bunch of crap, don't you think?

For Christmas, I think my present to my family will be totally eliminating all this stuff. Some of it is necessary, like the clothes, but the rest... it can go! Maybe I'll check back in a few weeks and let you all know how it goes. I've made good progress in the last month, actually selling a couch and 5 of my favorite floor pillows. I'm currently working on selling an entertainment center, credenza, tv and that Dora table (upside down, under the blue and clear tubs). So it's quite a possible feat. Let's just hope I can stick with it! After all, life is meant to be lived, not spent cleaning up clutter!

Anyways, 5 Oreos to A Belle, A Bean, and a Chicago Dog! She's made me laugh on more than one occasion and has inspired me to be more of an eclecticist in the blog department. And to anyone who wants to join in the WOW! contest, tell her I sent you! ;)

~Jen:)

November 8th Grateful

2010-11-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

In light of yesterday's post, and it being November, I'm going to shoot to do "A Grateful a Day!" There are always so many, so I'll try to share the first one that comes to mind each day.

Today it's Swagbucks. RANDOM, I know! Here's what and why.

Swagbucks is a search engine, apparently powered by ask.com, that pays you to use it. I've used it just under a year now, and have earned at least $40 in free amazon.com gift cards, just by doing simple searches. Many of my friends have signed up, and when they win "swagbucks", I win too - up until they reach 1000 bucks.

The way it works is, you type in what you're searching for, and every few searches you'll be awarded swagbucks. They come in different denominations, just like dollar bills. Normally it's about 8-15 swagbucks at a time, but on Fridays, they have what they call "Mega Swagbucks Friday", and you can win as much as 50 in one shot! When you sign up, you automatically get 30. And then you get 50 on your birthday... and you can get "Swagcodes" by following their blog, bucks by doing a survery, a buck for doing a daily poll, looking at offers... the list goes on and on.

To get a $5 Amazon gift card, you need about 450 bucks. It seems like that takes a lot, but the bucks accumulate fast. With the holidays coming in, I am definitely grateful to have free money, and friends who have signed up to help me score more for free! Thanks friends!

5 Oreos to Swagbucks! If you haven't signed up, I'd be honored to have you try it under my name! Yes, this is a shameless plug, but I'm truly grateful!

xoxo
~Jen:)

Sunday Gifts and Addiction Recovery

2010-11-07T09:43:00.001-07:00

Hey ya'll!

So times have been extraordinarily busy lately. I'm not sure why. Anyone else experiencing that? I hardly have had time to get food on the table for my kids, much less keep up with blogging. Time to do some checking in!

Seeing that it's Sunday, I wanted to share a unique blessing I was offered over the last few weeks, and just haven't had time to post. I got offered sponsorship! Cool!!! Someone came across my blog somehow, and offered to sponsor a link. It doesn't relate much to my market of who I write to, but then again, how could it not relate? It's for California Treatment Centers, and is basically a network for finding rehabilitation centers (particularly in California, although they're certainly not exclusive to Californians!). And how many of us don't know someone who has a substance abuse problem of some kind?

Normally I wouldn't write about something like this in my Sunday Grateful post, but it's come to my attention the last few busy weeks how important places like this are. A few months ago, one of Dan Baby's longtime friends succumbed to an alcohol addiction and passed away at a very young age. I know he had attempted rehab, but I'm not sure what went wrong. Nonetheless, I'm grateful that there are good and decent people who are patient, loving and kind toward people that just can't seem to overcome addictions on their own. Surely their losses are just as poignant as our own. Very Christlike, in my opinion.

5 Oreos to a great cause!

What are you grateful for today? I think I may focus each post this month on something I'm grateful for. Feel free to join in!

~Jen:)

Magic Le Creuset Dish

2010-10-30T22:34:00.000-06:00

It's finally here - the review on the Le Creuset dish!

So I tried it. And love it. It's beautiful to start, and cooks just as evenly as stoneware does. But this stoneware, as opposed to others I've tried, is DISHWASHER SAFE! I love that! I can't count how many dishes I've owned that I can't throw in the dishwasher. And usually I don't like to take up that much space with big dishes, but if I had to, I could. Here's what I made:

Apple Crisp! Yum! I probably could've cooked it a little longer, but it still tasted great. I've been pleased with this piece, and probably will order more. It's great that everything I make in it contrasts the color too. Makes me want to share!

I give this dish with all its contents 5 Oreos!

~Jen:)

How NOT to sell my house

2010-10-27T16:52:00.002-06:00

Ohhhhh, this is how NOT to get my business.

We have listed several homes for sale over the past few years, just by the nature of our life's situations. In fact, our home was for sale, as of a week ago. We let the listing expire, since we have some major repairs to do before we're comfortable showing it. But I had an interesting experience today that made me oh so grateful to have a sounding board for my thoughts on real estate and business in general.

I just tried to buy an L-shaped desk for my home. This week we sold a couch and some other things, so we now have space for a quasi office. I wanted an L-shaped desk to make it have the essence of being its own room. Upon doing research on our local free classifieds, I found one that looked like a good fit for us, although there was only one picture to decipher from. I called the person who listed it, to find that it was from a real estate office up the road. The girl who listed it was selling for the office, and they had several available, although only one L-shaped. She said someone had spoken for it already, but if they passed on it, she'd call back.

Well, they passed, and she called back when I wasn't here. When I called her back, a guy answered. I say guy, because he certainly wasn't a gentleman. He tried to help me on her behalf. I was ready to purchase the thing sight unseen, but by his mannerisms, the more he spoke, the less I wanted to buy it - not because it was a poor desk, but because of his pompous attitude. Here's where I got that.

I asked about the quality. He said it was put together in an haphazard method. There was the desk, and then the L part was added later, so the top veneers didn't exactly match. I asked if he could send me a picture so I could get an idea of how drastic it was. [And what I didn't say was, "I'd love to try it, but can't come this second because my two babies are napping, but I will come first thing when your biz re-opens in the morning."] He said this:

"Really, it's not worth my time. I would have to pay someone $18-20/hr PLUS taxes to do that sort of thing, and it's really just not worth it." Then he went on for another minute or so, saying how he's just too busy with endless projects and he'd rather junk the desk before taking the time to send me a picture. And if I don't buy it, he's going to re-list it and up the price, because it's just that great of a desk.

My next statement once I could get a word in edgewise: "Wow. You really need some better help then, because I could get that out in about 2 minutes."

Then he says, "That may be. We're hiring in January but blah blah blah..." As if I would ever want to work for someone who is THAT important that they share their importance with someone trying to buy a desk over the phone.

What does this have to do with real estate? This. If the guy's too important to figure out how to share a picture of a desk with me, why or even how would I be sane enough to consider trusting him with all the minute details of selling my home? There is just no way.

I think I need to do a series on how NOT to sell a home.

And by the way. This company's name? First Choice Real Estate. Um, actually, you'd be my last choice.

I give them 1 Oreo. At least Jessica was decently friendly and professional. And I guarantee she could email me a picture in under 2 minutes. Good thing she doesn't know her boss thinks she's that unskilled. But at least she's making $18-20/hr, PLUS tax.

~Jen:/

Feel Your Boobies

2010-10-24T23:27:00.000-06:00

This Sunday is a unique one. I almost wasn't going to post, but I realized I'd better share one thing I'm certainly grateful for today.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and ironically enough, one of my closest friends just found out this past Wednesday that she's got breast cancer, and will need to have a double mastectomy within a short period of time. I'm moved.

My heart aches for her. So many questions come to mind. Will it hurt? How will she recover? What is the emotional toll? What will the physical ramifications be? Will she need inserts for her bras? How about breast implants? Endless surgeries... when will she get a break? Ugh!!!

That said, I am tremendously grateful for medical innovations that allow for her to get the surgeries before the cancer spreads. Currently it's only in breast tissue, not muscle, and is classified as Stage Zero. Had it spread, she'd be facing so much more. As it stands, there's no need for radiation, but just the removal of the breast tissue from both breasts. I can't imagine where I'd be without her in my life, and am truly grateful that this was caught early, promptly, and by conscientious doctors. Thank heaven! I trust she is in good hands, and will continue to live a long, happy life, to bless me and others.

Now to all of you... FEEL YOUR BOOBIES!

(You can see reminder kits here.)

Dan Baby and I saw that on the tv the night before I heard the news, and he said, "That's kinda... inappropriate?" Do I want my kids seeing and saying that? Hmmm. Perhaps I should lighten up. But anyways... feel your boobs peoples. Apparently guys can even get breast cancer, so this isn't just for women.

So that's all! I'm grateful for modern science and the blessing of being able to detect cancer early, for breast campaigns to remind us about it, and friends to bless my life that make all this worth sharing. Without this friend, I doubt I'd even be paying attention to such things.

Love to the mamas!
~Jen:)

Guest Posts, Followers, and Mint Oreos

2010-10-19T23:16:00.000-06:00

Hey ya'll!

This past Sunday I was talking to my friend Aubrey, who recently had a TERRIBLE experience at a local restaurant. It dawned on me that I'd definitely be interested in inviting some of my readers and friends to guest post on here, no matter where you live! I'm all about hearing about what type of service you receive at your local places of business, whether it be great, bad, or ugly. What do you think?

I'd also like to invite some friends who are visiting from all over creation to add yourself as a "follower" over there on the left sidebar. Then I can do the honor of attempting to follow you back! But more than anything it will appease my curiosity as to who is reading from places that I don't recognize. Cool, right?

And one more thing. I am having a serious obsession with Mint Oreos. They were on sale the past two weeks at Ssssssmith's for $1.99. And I had several $1.00/2 coupons for Nabisco cookies. And then I also had a BOGO coupon when you buy one pack of Nabiscos, plus a gallon of milk, and you get a free Nabisco. Uhhhhh... I think I almost have a year's supply. Busting out the FoodSaver.

That said, I really do think that shortly I will change over my "5 Star" rating system to "5 Mint Oreos". Even if they were $5.00, I would still be addicted. Is your mouth watering? Have you never tried Mint Oreos? Oh, sugary, crunchy creamy heaven. You must try them. And then come back, click the follow button, and tell me what you think.

That is all!

5 Mint Oreos!!!
~Jen:)

p.s. - What? Nabisco? You'd like to what? Sponsor me? As a blogger? Absolutely! But only if it involves free Oreos. Mint ones.

Sorry, No.

2010-10-10T22:48:00.000-06:00

Time for a Sunday grateful! Finally!

While this has been a wild past few weeks, I've been meaning to write this post for a long time. Somehow Sundays keep slipping by, but today it's not the case.

This week's Sunday Grateful is the word "NO".

I'm typically a "Yes Man" kind of girl. See that movie? It's where Jim Carrey's character is challenged to say "Yes" to everything for a given amount of time. He takes on the challenge, and it changes his life. Yes, that's typically me. Yes, yes, yes. Ok, sure. You got it. Absolutely. Fabulous.

The last few weeks, I've had to say "no". Quite a bit, actually.

No, I have no more. I offered you some, not your friend's parents. Now they're all gone, because someone else's cousin took advantage of the offer.
No, I can't go. So sorry. I already have another commitment that I can't rearrange for you.
No, I can't do it. I know someone else arbitrarily signed me up, but I gave no consent. Physically and mentally, I cannot do it without having to be committed to the psych ward. Been there, done that with no plans to re-enjoy a vacay there.
No, I refuse to do something if you don't provide the means. I'm creative, but I can't make a turnip give me cheese. It's just not possible.

It's always been hard for me to say such things. My lovely father is a Yes Man too, and he set the precedent. If you can do it, do it. If you can't do it, do it anyway. He didn't say as much, but that's the example he set for me. He's an extraordinary man, and few can keep up with him. That said, I'm realizing now that sometimes - no, often - it's good to say "no". In my case, I think I almost had a meltdown today, realizing that no matter what guilt was thrown at me, I just had to say no. And it's ok. I said it, and it's done. I think God understands that there are limits on what is humanly possible, and He just expects my best. But He doesn't expect me to run faster than I'm able. (D&C 10:4)

And honestly, I feel a little guilty, but in the end, I think this was just one more practice session in me growing up. The gauntlet's been thrown, and I'm grateful.

What are you grateful for this week? I hope this next one's great for you!

~Jen:)

Defensive Tactics, by Steve Westover

2010-10-09T22:58:00.001-06:00

Wow! What a book I have to share today!

I just finished (literally minutes ago) Steve Westover's first book, Defensive Tactics. Having been invited to read this for a book tour, I was provided with a copy, but as always, that never influences my judgment in giving a review. And wow! What a read!!!

The book begins with a young man named Jimmy, who seems to have it all. Within the first few pages, his life is struck with tragedy, and in order to cope, he inadvertently turns his life upside down.

Enter Paul, an FBI agent who is eagerly anticipating getting to know a fellow FBI agent, Emily Mathews, a bit better. Paul, Emily, and soon Jimmy, end up being involved in one of the most twisted and exciting action stories I've ever read. And I'm not trying to flatter the author here.

This book is full of surprises, great humor, and suspense. I sat here, anticipating the story to go in one direction, then to have such suspicions undermined, again and again. There is a mild love story in the mix... or should I say, a love triangle? Yet this is not so entrenched that it would turn off those who don't care for romance.

In the end, I was pleasantly pleased and thrilled. It is a great read for men and women alike. That said, I should warn the sensitive reader. If this were a movie, it would likely get a "PG13" rating, if not an "R" for some violent scenes. If that's not your cup of tea, avoid this one. But if you can handle a movie like The Fugitive, you can handle this.

Great work on this one Steve! I'll be looking forward to future releases!

5 stars!

~Jen:)

Coming up for Air & Cookware Review

2010-10-07T00:10:00.001-06:00

Oh my! I feel like I've been swimming in a sea of green grapes! For the past two weeks, I've been picking, cleaning, cooking, straining, canning green grapes! It's time to come up for air! I see the light at the end of the grape tunnel! Whew! So beat!

Now that I'm back, I wanted to do a quick review about some of the cookware I got from CSN Stores' Cookware.com. Here's one of the pans I got:

It's the Hoffritz Stainless Steel 3 Tier Steamer. I got it because I wanted to start eating more vegetables, but I have allergic reactions at times to certain vegetables when they're uncooked. Odd, I know!

So I got this one, and gave it a run. The first thing I cooked was Hormel Chili.

This sat in our food storage for over a year, so I figured it was time to use it. I was craving a chili dog.

Oh my gosh, it cooked so fast! For the past 8 years, I have been using non-stick cookware, which doesn't allow you to use high heat. With this one, I cranked it up, and within a minute or two my chili was boiling! Whoa!!!

I loaded it on to my "bun"...

Oh, what fatty deliciousness! The pan cooked brilliantly, it didn't burn on the bottom, and it cleaned up nicely. There is a residual weird color on the stainless steel. It's not rust, but it's a weird thing that seems to happen to such a material once you use it. I'll have to look in to how to clear that up. But it's nothing that shows on the outside. Maybe ya'll know what I'm talking about.

Another plus - the lid feels quite weighted. I never noticed this in a lid, but it's got a great feel to it. The layers nestle nicely, and the 3-tiers are good and steady.

The only negative I found with my pot was that once it heats up, you need to use hot pads to pick it up. The handles are also stainless steel, so they heat up just as quickly as the pan. I'm not sure why they didn't put some kind of insulation on there, but hey, it sure is pretty.

5 stars and a great $29.99 deal from Cookware.com! Let me know if you'd try this one out!

~Jen:)

p.s. - I was offered compensation for this review. Very cool. (Apparently you have to list that. Not that it'd change my opinion any...:)

Hot Stuff Cookin' at CSN Stores!

2010-09-22T09:05:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago, I mentioned I was looking for new lighting. We have very few rooms in our place that have overhead lighting, so we rely mostly on all sorts of lamps. Here's what the lighting in my bedroom looks like:

(This is with me holding the shade on.)

And this:

(This is without me holding on the shade.)

Pretty bad shape, eh?

So I went shopping at an online retailer that I had been recommended, called CSN Lighting. I found this lamp, and *really* liked it:

In fact, I wanted to buy two! The only trouble was, when I found it, we were about to go to PA for six weeks, and I wanted to be here to see how fast the lamps arrived. When we returned, they were no longer on sale (in our budget range), so I had to forego them at the moment. But I was very impressed with the website and its details. I even did some research on the parent company.

Lots of people have never heard of CSN Stores, probably because they don't have a storefront. However, they have an online presence that I find astounding. They are one of the top 3 online retailers of home and office goods, with over 200 online stores under their umbrella. The company was founded in 2002 by two business entrepreneurs, named Niraj Shah and Steven Conine. Seriously, if you read their bios, it's hard not to be impressed. The guys have built many solid companies, and their business plan for this one makes a stellar review for me! If I were looking for a job, this would very much be a company that I would want to work for.

Anyways, when we got back from PA, I decided to shop some of the other companies under the CSN Stores label. I went with Cookware.com, as I needed a sauce pan, a steamer and a new cake pan. I went with these:

(Hoffritz Stainless Steel 3-Tier Steamer)

(La Creuset 12x9.5" Rectangular Dish in Caribbean)

Ordering was truly a breeze. I set up my account, and the funny thing was, when I tried to checkout, I actually was reminded that I still had my lamps in my shopping cart! I could've combined the order, even though it had been over 6 weeks before that I had shopped for them! Personally, I think that's great, because if I did still want those lamps, I wouldn't have had to go searching for them again! AWESOME!

Anyways, since this could turn into a really lengthy review, I thought I'd break it up into a few posts, with one for each item I got. So stay tuned for those! But my overall rating for CSN Stores is that I would definitely shop there again! They have amazing selection, brilliant web setup, and a business philosophy that I truly admire. They put their customers first, and are always thinking of ways to improve the shopping experience. I highly recommend checking them out next time you do your shopping, be it for bunk beds, greenhouses, baby seats or bird cages. (They have 243 of those!) Truly amazing!

5 stars! And stay tuned for the product reviews!

~Jen:)

"New" Family Search Fiend

2010-09-12T23:03:00.001-06:00

It's Sunday! Time for a Sunday Grateful!

I found the awesomest website for novice and skilled Family History fans. It's this: the NEW Family Search, done by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While we visited PA last month, I felt the most amazing sensitivity to the area where so many of my ancestors lived and thrived. The drive to learn more about them was almost overwhelming at times, and since I had heard about this new version of the "Family Search" website, I wanted to really explore it a bit. And WOW, what a site!

This new site is truly a miracle. Years ago, my uncle handed me a 2" binder, full of names of family members that he had researched. I began recording the information into Pedigree charts (family trees), but the program I was using got updated faster than I could input my data. Eventually I got so overwhelmed at the extent of the task, that I just put it on the back burner... for years.

Getting logged onto this new website changed everything. For starters, you do not have to be a member of the LDS Church to use the site. Contributors vary, and at times, I found that so much of my data had already been inputted by someone else. The program allows you to "merge" your files, so I was able to compare vital records - such as birth, marriage or death dates - and then combine someone else's records with mine, being that the ancestor was clearly the same person. Thanks to this feature, I was able to find that certain lines go back to even the 1300's. FASCINATING!

One fun fact: apparently I'm a descendant of a couple named John Gallup and Hannah Lake. Among my distant cousins are George Horace Gallup, originator of the "Gallup Poll". There's also Emily Dickinson, the great American poet.

(Emily Dickinson, photo courtesy of www.GallupFamilyAssociation.com)

And then there's both President George Bush #41 and #43. (See here for more.) One page I searched even went to John Gallup's parents, and found that both John Kerry and George Bush were their descendants - and were 9th cousins! Wild.

So I'm in love. The program is truly a blessing - one that I've been waiting for over a decade, at least. My only complaint is that thus far, it won't allow you to print more than 4 pages of pedigree charts. So to research those lines that go back to the 1300s, I had to start printing empty pedigrees and hand writing in the details past 4 pages worth of names. This is probably to allow other companies to stay in business for their pedigree chart programs. But I hope down the line they integrate this. That would be the only thing that could make it more perfect. And apparently there are lots of free sites that can help me.

If you give it a try, let me know what you think! It's certainly been a blessing in my family history endeavors!

5 super stars! Happy Sunday, everyone!

~Jen:)

RETURNing the Favor

2010-09-09T22:38:00.001-06:00

Hi!!!

I'm back! Back to UT, back from PA, back from vacation. Back to the groove, and back from the adventure of a double sided road trip. From the trip, there was one kicker lesson I learned, and thought I'd opine a bit. (Cliiiiimbing on the soapbox.) It's been in my system for about three weeks now, and it's due to be said.

Lesson Learned: Friendship involves constant RETURNing.

I don't know who all reads this blog, and trust that there are a few faithful friends who read this regularly. So for those who come across this, this is not meant to be directed at anyone at all. Truly. It's more of an observation than anything, but one I feel must be said.

Example #1 of Lesson Learned: I expected during this trip to spend a whole lot of time with a few people in particular, most of which is just didn't work out. One person I called at least 7 times, only to have 2 of those calls RETURNed. Frankly, I'm embarrassed at myself. Why I didn't get the message that they simply weren't interested in spending time with me is beyond me. Why did I waste my time? Some of these excess calls were likely due to the fact that my kids wanted to play with this person's kids, and they begged me to keep on calling, just to be silly. But beyond that, the fact still remains, that my company was not a priority to them. That's perfectly fine, but it illustrated to me where I ranked on the "friend totem pole" - and we all know what that means. (Admit it. You have one too. :) That friendship is no longer RETURNed, and it's become a clear statement to me that I need to move on. Re-turn to something else.

Example #2 of Lesson Learned: I traveled almost exactly 2000 miles each direction, to visit family, earn some extra money (via Dan Baby), and enjoy the last month of summer, preferably in air conditioning. As I visited certain "old faithfuls", it occurred to me an extra quality I hold a little more dear in a friendship. In all my years of meeting people around the world, I've visited many of them in their homes. I've traveled to visit friends in all ends of Utah and Pennsylvania. I've been to California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, both Carolinas, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, Idaho, Nevada, and Nebraska. If a friend is willing to have my company, if I have the money, I'm willing and eager to go there. That said, I can count on one hand the friends that have RETURNed this blessing. I count it as a blessing, and a statement of them re-turning my friendship. I cherish their efforts more than ever, especially considering the sacrifices I have made to visit others.

Example #3 of Lesson Learned: I appreciate hearing a "No, sorry, I can't", rather than nothing at all. RETURNing an answer shows respect. Lack of such tells me that RETURNing that favor is not a priority, and that leaving me hanging is totally acceptable to them. At this age, it's become a benchmark of friendship re-turned.

Example #4 of Lesson Learned: RETURN empty promises to their rightful owner. I've learned that some friends enjoy making empty promises, almost like an addiction. I can understand that inability to do something happens alllllll the time. I can't count the times I've had to cancel an activity for whatever reason. However, I no longer have patience for promises and plans that really have no meaning, with no intention of follow-through. One example: during this visit, one "friend" completely (and I mean COMPLETELY) left me hanging. We had planned to do a favorite pastime with our kids, and I let my kids know the excitement that was ahead. When the time came to go, this person never came. Never called, and hasn't since. An empty promise, a completely wasted day. That said, I intend to no longer make promises, or even aspirations for adventure that I can't expect to be able to keep.

THE FLIP SIDE to all of this is that I have gained a much stronger, truer, fonder appreciation for the dear friends that I do have. Recognizing that friendships change over time, I am letting go of the unnecessary hurt, heartache and sorrow caused by those who just no longer wish to hold me in their totem pole. That's fine, really. The blessing is, it allows me to focus on the people, here and now, that DO take the time to appreciate me for all my blessed goodness. (hahaha!;)(Had to fluff my feathers a bit!) I thank my Father in Heaven for you. And you surely know who you are. If not, I intend to make it known a little more in the coming days, months and years.

I hope you all had a fabulous August. It's one of my favorite months of the year! Here's a toast to the best September yet!

~Jen:)

Alma the Younger, by H.B. Moore

2010-08-26T13:32:00.002-06:00

So I haven't read too many books this summer, as you might be able to tell. I think this is probably my third in three months... not too hot, since last summer I won the prize for most books read over at LDS Publisher's Summer Reading Thing. But here's definitely a read that's perfect for summer.

It's a bit of a continuation to the stories told in H.B. Moore's books, Abinadi and Alma. Some of the characters come back, although they're not as prominent in this one. The story's about Alma (the Younger), who is the son of Alma (the Elder). In the beginning, we follow Alma, as he slowly slides down the path of rebellion of what he's learned and practiced his whole life. In Alma, we were able to see the conversion of Alma the Younger's father, and in Alma the Younger, we see how Alma the Younger basically throws it all away, because he hasn't gained a belief for himself of what he'd been taught all his life. In this book, H.B. Moore illustrates how slowly and then quickly Alma abandons his beliefs.

Now for my review. Innnnnnteresting would be the best word to describe it. Heather's got such eclectic writing, it's hard to know what to expect. In previous stories, I found romance, drama, adventure. This one caught me off guard a little, in that to those themes she added the concept of secret combinations, which even the Book of Mormon won't go into too much detail on. It was a bit dark at times, which had me wiggling in my chair, especially when the situations were added upon with idol worship. She showed how easy it was for Alma to turn "like a dog to its vomit" (3 Ne. 7:8, 2 Pet.2:22), from his half-hearted worship of God to a full-hearted worship of his created goddess, Bel. There were also a few scenes that involved violence, and Heather acknowledges that these are not stories for kids. (See here.)

That said, being able to see the dark side of a story allows the bright side to truly shine, which fortunately, it does. (Spoiler coming.) The story resolves with redemption, including true changes of heart in the majority of the major players. It's great to see their contrition in the resolution.

As always, I enjoyed Heather's voice and writing style. It flowed quickly, was easy reading, and was well researched. I walked away thinking about the story for days, almost wishing there were a resort somewhere, where I could step into the characters' world of tunics and honeycombs.

My only complaint was in my own expectations. I expected the pivotal part of the story to happen a little sooner, with a little more extravagance, but pivotal moments often aren't like that. They're often more quiet, personal, and secluded. For those seeking signs as Alma was, perhaps they could take a lesson from this story!

5 stars! But save it for the 14+ crowd, in my opinion. (Even 18+ might be safer... but then again I don't let my kids drink soda... ha!!!;)

~Jen:)

"Make a U Turn"

2010-08-24T16:13:00.003-06:00

Anybody have a Garmin GPS? We've got one in our van, and whenever we stray from its course, it most often says (in its sweet, soft, feminine voice), "Make a u-turn." We always joke about it. Not sure why it's so funny; perhaps it's because we interpret it as the GPS woman telling us, "I have no idea what to do besides turn around."

In my hometown of Palmyra, PA, there's a hair salon called U Turn Salon. From my view of the town, it's about the trendiest salon in the most unassuming space:

(Not an architectural showboat or anything...)

Last week was my birthtime, so my mom treated me to a new do. I've been growing out my highlights of who-knows-how-long-ago (it's been that long!), so I just wanted to get a good cut. I called them up, spoke with Janell, and they got me in right away, with a stylist named Renae.

Here's what I looked like before the cut.

(I washed my hair just before I found out I could get in. Double wash!)

I got a great head massage with great conversation. Renae's from Long Island, so she told me a little about it. I've never been there, so it made me wish I could take a trip to explore it sometime. It's apparently not at all what I imagined. The head scrub was nice and comfortable too. Normally my neck hurts after sitting in those chairs. Ahhh...

So Renae combed and cut, and after a good little while, once it was just right, she dried it out with the hair dryer. Then she cut a little more when it was almost done, and this is what I got:

Ummm, Farrah? Farrah Fawcett? Or is it almost Megyn Kelley? I didn't know my hair could do such things. And she didn't touch it one second with a curling iron. Serious tricks she pulled here! And do you notice, it hardly looks like I had highlights forever ago. It's as if it's all natural color, with natural sunmade highlights.

And then here's a view from the back. I do believe she used the word "cascade" to describe it

I felt like a beauty queen. Renae did a great job. For only 33 bones even!

(This is the queen of beauty, in all her gorgeousness. Do you not love her hair?!)

5 stars! Thank you Renae, and #1MOM for the birthday gift! Now, where do you get your hair done? What do you look for in a stylist?

~Jen

p.s. - if anyone from the salon reads this, you might want to have your website fixed. The previews of your team members don't load properly. Otherwise I'd link directly to sweet Renae! ;)

"AVALANCHE!"

2010-08-14T21:22:00.001-06:00

That's what I yelled when all this came toppling down. "AVALANCHE!" That was after this picture.

I'm holding up the side. And what am I doing with so much food next to me, you ask? I was HOARDING! No, just kidding. This week was a major sale at our local Weis Markets. It worked out that when you buy $20 worth of food, and do so in at least 10 boxes, you get $17 back in the form of a Catalina, which is a coupon you can re-use in the store, usually on anything. In this case, I used about 8 coupons in my first transaction, so my $20 investment turned into $12 out of pocket (OOP). Then I went back in, got another $20 worth in 10 or more boxes, and the total came to about $3.00 OOP. I would use 3 $1.00 off coupons, and it would be practically free, depending on my initial total!

Thanks to an idea from a friend in an "undisclosed" location, I learned the value of this:

What is this, you ask? Recycling bins, of course! And what do you do with recycling bins?

You DUMPSTER DIVE for THEEEESE! Newspapers! And coupon inserts! So after my unnamed friend gave me this idea, I went to our local recyclers in PA, and did this!

Ok, ok. Not really! That was just for fun. Dan Baby was tall enough to just look inside, whereas I had to climb up to see in. So he did the "diving", and I played lookout for the "Little Recycling Man" who guards our local bins. He does a good job of making sure they're free of graffiti from the yocals. He'll even help you dump your stuff if you let him.

In the end, thanks to my unnamed friend and Kellogg's/Keebler Co's, I was able to get all this for practically nothing! I found so many Kellogg's coupons that matched perfectly to this sale, that I got if for literally pennies in some cases. And what will I do with it all? I'm open to suggestions, but it will primarily be used in conjunction with my FoodSaver, lots of mason jars, and I guess I could donate a few to a local women's shelter. ;D All good ideas, right?

Oh, and even cooler. On these boxes of food, when you buy a certain number, you can get free movie tickets! COOL! I have yet to see Eclipse, so I'm probably going to see that one first!

(These are my tickets.)

Monkey #4 is VERY happy for me!

"YAY MOM!!!"

5 Super Stars!
~Jen:)

Looking for Lamps!

2010-08-11T06:41:00.001-06:00

Hi!

So... did I say I'm looking for some new lighting in my home? I don't know that I've ever shared a picture of the rooms in my house, but almost all of them require task lighting. There is no overhead lighting in my living room, playroom, or three of my bedrooms. It was a big adjustment when we first moved in to our place, since growing up my parents always stressed the importance of good lighting. But now, I think I'm due for something new.

I'd like to get your thoughts on what you use for lighting. Have you grown up with overhead lighting, and couldn't live without it, or do you prefer task lighting, such as table lamps, nightlights or candles? (The links go to some at CSN Lighting, where I've been shopping for a few.) Let me know what you think!

~Jen:)

Hanging by the Thread, by Donald B. Anderson

2010-08-09T21:30:00.002-06:00

I have a book review for you! Finally, right?!

It's called "Hanging by the Thread", by Donald B. Anderson. It's a fast paced suspense novel, but one I would also call a political thriller. It begins with Colton Weiser, (sorry if I'm misspelling it - I don't have the book with me,) who finds an interesting piece of paper in a copy room in the government building where he works. Upon investigating the document to find its owner, he unleashes a whole series of complicated events, which eventually lead to putting his and others' life in danger.

The bulk of the book takes place within only two or three days, and the pace is incredibly fast. It was hard to put down, yet also taught historical and political lessons, based on real history. I appreciated that it didn't rewrite history, and at the end there was a set of "lectures", where one of the characters from the story teaches us as if we're in his college classroom - only the course is actually interesting! It's definitely a fascinating read; one I would recommend to anyone, regardless of their interest in government, history, or economics.

5 stars! Do you plan on checking it out?

~Jen:)

Pot Pie!

2010-08-08T21:09:00.000-06:00

Sunday Grateful time!

This week it's Pot Pie! But this is not what many imagine as Pot Pie. It's PA Dutch Pot Pie.

Homemade noodles, chicken, onion salt, onions, chicken broth and potatoes. (The broth seemed to dry up/soak up into the noodles, but I'll add more when I re-heat my leftovers.) Delicious!

Hope you all had something this Sunday to be grateful for! It helps make the week go smoother, right?

~Jen:)

Giant Highs and Lows

2010-08-06T22:58:00.002-06:00

I've got some great fun to share!

Dan Baby and I just hit up our local Giant store. Yes, it was 11 pm at night, and yes, my parents were watching our blissfully sleeping babes. But between the goodness of God, Giant, and Kellogg's, we HIT the JACKPOT!

We got all this...

and this...

for a grand total of $15.00 + $1.79 + $1.25 + $1.79 + $1.75 = $22.16!!!

There are countless blogging queens ranting and detailing about this deal. (Google "Giant", "Kellogg's" and "Coupon" and you can't go wrong.) I won't go into too much detail, but this works out to between $0.12 and $0.17 per box of cereal. The Eggos ended up being essentially free. The average cost is $0.42 per item. That includes those Mission tortillas, which were our filler items. ROCK IT! 20 boxes of cereal, 20 boxes of Eggo's, 10 pkgs of cookies (crack out the FoodSaver!), 8 boxes of 100 calorie pack snacks, 2 boxes of Club Crackers and 2 Mission tortillas! PLUS, I have a $10 catalina to spend on my next trip! I'd keep rolling it if I had freezer space!

Ok. So after coming home on that high, I hopped on my email to begin sharing the joy and read about this.

Seriously, is that not the best pic of Chelle? I do believe it's the most flattering one I've ever seen.

I avoid waxing political on this blog, but reading about Michelle Obama's trip to Spain nauseates me, and since I've been politically silent for a long time, I hope no one minds if I express my thoughts on this. If you click that link, the editorial is titled, "Let them eat tapas," which is reminiscent of the supposedly misquoted Marie Antoinette, saying "Let them eat cake." People say she was referring to the uproar of her countrymen who were upset at their destitute financial situation, while she lived the most extravagant high life off their dime. {To watch a perfectly lousy movie rendition of this, watch Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst, which does very little to explain the political climate (which is why most people remember her name), but does a great job at showing Marie's careless attitude toward the matter. I meant to do a review on this one... a 1 star movie, and that's generous.} Anyways... I hope people are paying attention at least a little to what's going on in our nation. Coupon shopping is stellar, and if anything, I can say it's a far better way to shop than what people might be stuck with if we continue down the road to the great nanny state. Ugh. Done with my rant.

5 stars for GIANT deals!
0 stars for disgusting flaunting of an eighth summer vacation. With 40+ guests in a hotel for $2500/room per night. Plus security... But it's really stressful, being the first lady all the time, don't you think? (Can you imagine how many boxes of cereal she could've gotten for just one of those rooms?!:)

~Jen;P

Here, Here! And some news!

2010-08-05T12:22:00.002-06:00

So I've been a REALLY delinquent blogger lately. But I'm sure you all have been through times like that. We made it to PA though! YAY! And I have some fun posts ahead, for the times I *might* make it to the computer. I know. Really reliable!

I just found a great giveaway site I wanted to share with you. It's done by my friend Melody, who has somehow hit the blogging jackpot in being able to offer reviews and giveaways. I think you'll really like her site: http://cheatdaynewsandreviews.blogspot.com/

She's got 3 giveaways going on right now, and thus far, the chances aren't too shabby!

There's also another announcement I have! We've got a future review coming up that will have a great giveaway attached! It's from CSN Stores... ever heard of them? I didn't, until recently. But I think you'll be impressed with what you find, so stay tuned!

Oh, and on the personal side... since my last post, we've driven 2000+ miles, dumpster dived, lost a tooth, rolled over (the baby) and peed in the potty (toddler). Yes, I know, it's the little things, right? Sorry to resort to potty talk, but those of you with kids will know what a milestone that is. And if you don't have kids, just know it's big! I also got to try a new Zumba class, enjoyed a "lights-out" thunderstorm, and gotten eaten alive by mosquitos. But there are a few lightning bugs left, flying around, so it's all good!

Now I'll leave you with an early morning fog of western PA. I haven't seen fog for over a year! Crazy.

How's everyone's summer going?

~Jen:)

Win, Lose, or Blog Weeks 6 & 7

2010-07-24T00:16:00.002-06:00

So I can't believe I'm still doing this, although I have very little to report. We've been trying like crazy to get ready to sell our house, as well as getting ready to do a cross-country trip. (Anyone want 6 happy screaming visitors to visit them?:) So I've been considering my "getting ready" to be my workouts, minus 2 lone trips to the gym over the past 2 weeks. Thus, here I am, reporting that I have no idea what my weight is, but hopefully once we get where we're going, next week I'll have good statistics to report. But until then... I'm still working on it!

Hope everyone has a great weekend, and to all those celebrating, a Happy Pioneer Day tomorrow!

~Jen:)

Carraba's Carrambita!

2010-07-21T00:14:00.001-06:00

Ay ay ay! I LOVE Carrabba's! I know, it really has very little to do with Spanish phrases, but it rhymed well!

So I LOVE Carrabba's, and the other day, I got together with one of my favorite friends to celebrate her birthday, which is actually today. (Well, if I get this posted before midnight...) That would be the luscious Anita Stansfield.

(Anita & me)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

Oddly enough, Anita treated me to lunch... I know... a little backward, seeing it was her birthday. But she's just awesome like that, and I really have no good explanation for allowing her to treat me, besides that she's just freaking awesome, and I couldn't say "no".

So we eat at Carrabba's, which is one of her favorite places to eat, as well as mine. They have a Gluten-Free menu, which is fabulous, because they can cook so much delicious food, and Anita can have whatever she wants. (A few years ago she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, thus the need for GF food.) Anita's favorite is the Pollo Rosa Maria.

(Pollo Rosa Maria)

Look at that! Chicken, stuffed with fontina cheese and prosciutto, topped with mushrooms and a basil lemon butter sauce. Mashed potatoes, and veggies... yum. The cheese "oozed" out of the chicken when she cut it. Ooooh!

But wait! Before the entrees came out, we first got this:

(Spices & oil!)

And this:

(Freshly cooked, hot bread, used to dip in the spices.)

Anita couldn't eat the bread, so I waited until she got this to dig in:

(House Salad with extra olives, absolutely NO croutons)

All of this is SO good. I love that they have such a unique food to serve while you wait for your main entree. The first time I ate at Carrabba's was about 8 1/2 years ago, when Dan and I celebrated our Valentine's Day a week late. I was pregnant, in Florida, and freezing in their restaurant, but I'll always remember how amazed I was at their spice/oil/bread combo. The only thing that would make this more fabulous is if they figured out a gluten-free bread to serve that was decent, so I could eat the bread with Anita. Is that asking too much? lol!

What did I order at this birthday feast? Um, this!

(Sirloin Marsala w/ Mashed Potatoes and Veggies)

Aahhhh!!! (That's the sound they use in tv when they show the angels appear, or a heavenly sign of some sort. That "aahhhhh".) While I was waiting for this picture to load, my mouth was watering. (Sorry about the picture quality - it was hard to get the light right with the spotlight from overhead hitting half of my plate.) The meat is grilled with a slight crust on the outside, yet it is SO tender in the middle. The veggies - mainly broccoli this time - were tender, yet not soggy. And the mashed potatoes were so dang creamy... I couldn't figure out if I should devour them or the sirloin marsala more. Oh, and the best part? That marsala sauce is AMAZING! Oh my stars, can you say DIVINE? It's mainly mushrooms, but add in whatever else they add, and it is just off the charts incredible.

So that was my delicious dinner with my luscious friend! We had so much fun! Such good food! I wish we could go there every day. And to make it even better, our server gave us time to chat, came to our table a decent number of times (but not too much), and kept our drinks full. I do believe her name was Kim. Kudos to her!

5 stars! We LOVE Carrabba's! Have you ever tried their food? What's your favorite?

~Jen;D

p.s. - the winky smile is for Anita. Happy Birthtime friend!

Hug Them a Lot Tighter

2010-07-17T20:47:00.000-06:00

I was just skimming over my blogroll, and checked out "Make It Or Love It's" post from yesterday. It says this:

My heart broke while reading of the Sullenger family and the events going on in their life right now. Their darling little baby girl fell into a canal in Idaho (close to where I just moved from) and was pulled out of the water by a farmer 2 miles away. The parents, Patrick and Ashley, have shared pictures and their tender feelings of the whole situation on their blog here. Another blog has been set up to help the Sullenger family here.
If you have a moment, please stop by.

So I clicked the link. And read, and read, and read. Apparently the accident happened in the last month. It makes me feel like sobbing. There's a video of this sweet little girl fingerpainting... what an angel. It might make you cry too. Be forewarned.

Please say an extra prayer for this incredible family. And be sure to hug yours a lot tighter tonight.

~Jen

Free Slurpee Day and Monkey #1!

2010-07-11T17:04:00.000-06:00

Today's the yearly free Slurpee day at 7-11! Did anyone else know that? That day always reminds me of this same day, seven years ago, when I was in excruciating and then entirely numb pain in a hospital room in Melbourne, FL. Monkey #1 made his debut at 9:20 pm, after 25 hours of mind-blowing labor.

For today's Sunday grateful, it undeniably has to be Monkey #1. What a blessing he's been in my life. Happy Birthday to Monkey!!!

(The boy will not pose for me, unless it's a silly face.)

Some sweet things about Monkey #1:

He's an amazing reader. He can read just about anything, including the scriptures.
His favorite color is red.
He loves to watch Johnny Test.
His pappy is his favorite person... besides me, of course.
His wish list for his birthday included a DS Lite, Lego Harry Potter for the Wii (or that DS Lite), a skateboard, ~~a laptop~~ (he crossed that off the list himself), Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones II.
For his birthday dinner he asked for mashed potatoes. For dessert, chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips. (Mom's favorite.)

One of my favorite things about Monkey #1 is that despite being full of endless energy, he is very loving toward his parents and siblings. He's honest, obedient (when it counts) and fun. He never ceases to surprise me.

Happy 7th Birthday Monkey! I love you!

~ <3, The Mama:)

Win, Lose or Blog, Week 5!

2010-07-09T23:06:00.001-06:00

Week 5 of WLorB is done! And I have some good news!

I broke 135! I weighed in today, and even with wet hair, I was at 134. ROCK IT! That's 6 lbs. in 5 weeks! Not bad, especially without Isagenix, SlimFast, or the Cookie Diet. Although this week I took most of the week off from the "official" workouts. Today was water aerobics, and other days involved regular life-work (pulling weeds, housework, etc.).

Bad news... they (WLoB) chose their "bloggers" for the first segment of the contest a few weeks ago. I didn't win as a contestant, but maybe next round, right? Yeah, probably not. I'm thinking I don't have enough to lose. But it's the principality involved, right?! This is stubborn fat! Time to go. On another note, they have a great post today for improving crunches and ab workouts.

At least I have ya'll here. Where we're all winners. lol. Now to celebrate, I'm diggin' in to the Mint Oreos!

~Jen:)

Mangolicious!

2010-07-09T00:05:00.001-06:00

So the money's been tight lately, so that means we're doing a whole lot more eating in, and a whole lot less eating out. Translation: I've got a recipe review to share!

This one's for Corn & Black Bean & Mango Salsa, found here, at Recipezaar.com. Here's my picture:

Yeah, doesn't quite look that appetizing. But it tastes great! Here's the rundown:

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed,drained
1 cup frozen white shoepeg corn, thawed
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped mango
8 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients, refrigerate for up to 3 days. Serve w/ crostini (?). I use tortilla chips.

So I missed the red pepper - which would have colored it up a little brighter - and used canned corn instead of shoepeg, whatever that is. No matter.

Ohhhhh, so good! 5 screamin' stars!

~Jen:)

It's Independence Day... weekend!

2010-07-05T13:59:00.001-06:00

I totally missed my Sunday Grateful, AGAIN! Bah! Here it is, a day late!

So Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone had a marvelous and safe weekend! We're still celebrating here in Utah. In Pennsylvania (the motherland), it always seemed that when the 4th fell on a Sunday, all the towns in the area would celebrate all weekend long. Here in Utah, they totally omit community events on Sunday, probably via the "Thou shalt keep the sabbath day holy" verse in Exodous. (Amazing... some towns actually honor that, and I'm not complaining. I appreciate my day of rest!;) So anyways, we saw fireworks (outside) of the Stadium of Fire on Saturday, Church and then family BBQ yesterday, and are hoping to chill at the pool and do another BBQ today. Clean house? What's that? There's something remarkable about this holiday that lets me throw all cares to the wind.

Perhaps it's our history? Perhaps. ;) It's my favorite weekend of the year. I hope you all are still enjoying it as much as I am here. Keep it safe and healthy, ya'll!

~Jen:)

Win, Lose, or Blog, Weeks 3 & 4

2010-07-04T00:13:00.001-06:00

Ack! So I've been a blog slacker with WLorB! But I'm still working out!

So Week 3: I did 3 days of 1 hour workouts.
Week 4: FIVE honkin' days. Well, technically 4, and then one entire day at the pool with the kids. They have a Lazy River that never fails to give a killer leg workout. Like doing 5,000 squats, but without the knee pain.

Week 3 showed a wobbly scale. It said I lost 8 lbs. on one weigh-in, but I really didn't believe it. At the end of the week, I was only down 1 lb. from the previous week. 137.

Week 4 showed some decent progress. Down to 135 on Thursday. Friday's weigh-in was after water aerobics, so a wet weigh-in probably wasn't accurate. 138.

Random thought... Christian Bale is on Terminator Salvation. That man is multiple heroes in Anita's books. Just an fyi that I know you're all grateful to know.

That is all! Happy 4th of July weekend!

~Jen:)

Why it pays to shop the ads

2010-07-02T10:01:00.000-06:00

In Utah, we are so blessed to have so many stores to choose from. There are probably great opportunities elsewhere, but in my opinion, there are few reasons to not get great deals in this state.

Today I went through the ads I got in my mail this week. I circled the items that were well priced, and then went to Walmart. Historically I have not had luck price-matching in other states, but in this town, they don't even check my ad. They ask me what the price is, and match it.

Here's what I got tonight by price matching.

Eggs! $0.78 at Buy Low Market, price-matched down from $0.99.

Mangoes, 4/$1.00 from Rancho Markets, price-matched down from $0.50/mango.

Limes at WM were $0.24. I price matched it from Tenochitlan to 2 lbs. for $0.99. Lemons were $0.18.

Jet-Puffed marshmallows. WM was $1.00. Everywhere else was $0.98. I saved. $0.04. LOL!

Here are some other great deals I found:

Pampers wipes: FREE! ($2.00 off coupon, and marked to $1.97 at WM.)

Yoplait Yoplus yogurt, $1.00, thanks to a $1.00 off coupon from coupons.com.

I know not every WM has great service, and some just plain suck! But others are fabulous, and you can really find some great deals if you allow their system to work for you! I saved a lot of gas today by taking 15 minutes to peruse my free ads. Steals of deals, and time and gas saver too!

~Jen:)

Ssssuper Ssssmith'ssss Ssssales from June 29th, 2010

2010-07-01T10:48:00.001-06:00

I know, I know. I shouldn't beat a dead horse. But I had to share. Here's some steals I found this week at Smith's coupon sales!

5 Ivory Body Washes: FREE!

5 Dial liquid hand soaps: FREE!

5 Colgate Cavity Protection toothpaste, 1 Oral B superbig toothbrush to clean the corners with: FREE!

5 Weber Mesquite Marinade Mix: FREE!

5 Kool-Aid FunFizz: FREE! (Had to buy 2 Oscar Mayer hotdogs for 1 free FunFizz)
10 Oscar Mayer hotdogs: $1.69 - .50 coupon = $1.19/pkg! Not bad.

3 Crystal Light Pure Fitness: $0.49/box! I got 3 $2.00 off coupons in the mail from Vocal Point. I get SO much great stuff from this service, and it's entirely FREE! (With those 3 coupons came 3 samples of the product. Cool!)

1 FREE can of Libby's vegetables, thanks to joining their Facebook group! (You can do it too by clicking the link and going to the tab that says "Libby's Table". You'll have to print the coupon yourself though.)

12 Yoplait yogurts, $0.53/piece. They upped my $0.40 coupon to be $1.00 off 6. Then I had an e-coupon from both Shortcuts and Cellfire, so I was supposed to get another $0.40 off per set of 6. (Still checking my receipt to verify...) My math tells me I got these for about $0.29 a piece.

Breyers Ice Cream! $1.47/carton. On sale when you buy 10 "participating items" for $1.97, then a $1.00 off 2 coupon.

I can't even remember how I worked this. But they came to $0.49 a bottle. I've seen lots of sales in other stores with these being $0.88. Even if I take off the typical $0.25 coupon for these, I still got a better deal.

10 Betty Crocker cookie mixes. $0.31/bag! ($1.31, - $1.00 coupon = $0.31)

Kroger cheese, 8 oz. $0.95/brick! I never buy cheese over $1.00 anymore...

So these were a little tricky to figure out. They were $1.19 each. Then I had a $0.75 coupon, which was rounded to $1.00 off three. ($1.19 - .33 = .86) Then I had an e-coupon on my card, for another $0.75 off three. So .86 - .25 = $0.61/roll! YAY!

Country Crock $1.69/tub. I'm not a huge user of this stuff, but it can come in handy when you make fresh bread, and that seemed like a decent price.

Pork Shoulder: $1.49/lb. This was the most expensive thing I got, for $10.30. I couldn't find any smaller, and really have been wanting to try making my own Pork BBQ for the weekend. I can't believe I just posted a picture of a slab of meat.

Last but not least... and these weren't the best deal, but I can't really find them much cheaper...

OREOS!!! I LOVE the mint ones. I got these for $2.50 each. Not a steal, but cheaper than the normal $2.78.

I hope you enjoyed my shopping this week! It was definitely fun, time consuming, but quite fulfilling. The food storage groweth...

If I don't get back tomorrow, Happy 4th of July everyone! It's one of my favorite holidays of the year!

~Jen:)

A Loving Heart, by Anita Stansfield

2010-06-30T23:40:00.000-06:00

So it's established. My favorite author is Anita Stansfield. I have read every piece of her work that I could get my hands on, and think she is the best author of our time. While I am enthralled by many authors' writings, thus far, I have not found anyone to keep me as wholly entranced the way her work does.

The most recent book of hers that I've read is called A Loving Heart, Volume III of the Dickens Inn Series.

The first two books in the series introduce us to Chas and Jackson, who up until now, have been developing their relationship, through their time of dating, and the first year or so of marriage. They are a bit older of a couple - by my estimation, Jackson is in his early 40s, and Chas is in her 30s. When A Loving Heart kicks in, they are expecting their second child, and adapting to life in the Dickensian Inn with a growing family.

As the story gets moving, I was surprised, once again, by several plot twists. Chas and Jackson welcome a woman in the FBI's witness protection program to their home, which brings in quite a bit of drama, mystery, unexpected character development, and even a bit of romance! I didn't expect that, since the romance between our key characters had already reached the point of marriage and family in the previous volumes. So a new love story makes it quite exciting! (Hopefully I didn't ruin it for those of you considering reading it. I was totally taken off guard by it!)

For those of you who don't know, I also run Anita's "unofficial" fan club, and it's here. At present, she writes for the LDS audience, so you can trust that her work will be profanity free, family friendly, but also touch on sensitive issues for our day. She is an amazing, evolving writer, and I hope that even if you're not LDS, you'll consider checking her out. She doesn't shove her faith down your throat in her books, and offers more eclectic stories than I've found anywhere else. Check her out!

5 fabulous stars for A Loving Heart! Let me know if you plan to read it!

~Jen:)

Leaning into the Curves, by Nancy Anderson & Carroll Morris

2010-06-25T10:18:00.000-06:00

Book review time! I've had my hands on several lately, and here's the first of the lineup! It's called Leaning into the Curves, and it's by both Nancy Anderson and Carroll Hoffling Morris. (Ok, gotta tease... that woman has LOTS of double letters in her name!:)

My quick summary of this book is that it's about a couple - Molly and Hank Mancuso - who are just reaching retiring age. Molly has a massive fear of motorcycles, after seeing a gory accident in front of her home when she and Hank were newly married. The accident caused her to insist that Hank give up his motorcycle, and for over 30 years, he complied with her request.

Upon retiring, Hank explores new things to fill his life with, and after getting bored with them, Molly encourages him to buy himself a birthday present that he will really enjoy, to get out of the funk he's found himself in. He takes her suggestion seriously, as she really seems to mean it, and goes out and buys himself a Honda Gold Wing motorcycle.

Molly is ______________: what any woman would be if her husband went and purchased her worst fear. The rest of the book is Molly, filling in the blanks of how to cope with her husband's new hobby/toy/love.

So, this was my first try at a book by these ladies. I wasn't aware that they've got quite a few other books out. (Here's their website, where you can get a better idea of their history. I love that they refer to themselves as "crusty old broads"!) Apparently I need to spend more time in some bookstores!

On to my review! I was invited to read a copy, but as always, I share my open and honest opinion, even if it's not always what I think the authors want to hear. To start out, I'll say I almost put it down after starting. It was a lot like that movie, "Baptists at our Barbeque", where there are so many characters introduced that I felt overwhelmed. I'm also used to reading books where a little more character narrative is given before a dozen new characters are introduced. When there's not a heavy balance of narrative with dialogue, I get highly impatient, but I commit to read at least to p.50.

Well I was glad I committed, because at p. 48, Hank buys the bike, and the story starts taking some awesome twists and turns. Molly is forced to not only cope with the unwelcome intrusion into her happy life, but she must figure out how to thrive again. It turns out, unexpectedly, to be a book on how to overcome intense fear, and come out all the more fearless! Quite a surprise - not what I was expecting!

An added plus was the authors' sense of humor. I often found myself laughing out loud at their antics, and being pleasantly surprised at the spontaneity of their moves. This is a perfect summer read. It's not high drama, and light enough to be thoroughly enjoyable.

I give it 4 stars! Let me know if you read it, or plan to!

~Jen:)

p.s. - it's MEGA SWAGBUCKS FRIDAY! If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks, do it now! You can get 20 extra Swagbucks by entering code SUMMEROFSWAG (all caps) when you sign up. (So you'll get 50, total!) Just click my superlong link right there... :) Happy Friday, everyone!!! :)

Ssssssuper Sssssmith's Sssssale, June 23-29th!

2010-06-23T14:41:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody!

So I've missed blogging the last few days. I've been busy, getting ready for this:

SSSSSSSSSSUPER SSSSSSSSMITH'SSSS SSSSSALESSSSS!!!

Don't those s's look like money signs? $$$$$. They may as well be! Thanks to the UtahDealDiva, I had a heads up on this last Saturday or so. And I've been getting ready for steals of deals! Here's what I got: (can you see me grinning through the computer screen? I can hardly type straight.)

Red Baron Pan Pizzas... these are as killer as Pizza Hut, but I only pay $3.50 for them. Well, $3.48. They were $4.98 and I had a $1.50 off coupon. Not the best deal, but much cheaper than Pizza Hut! And it doesn't hurt to stock up for the lazy days.

Then there's this one:

They were $0.69 when you buy 10. I didn't pay attention, and got 11, thinking it was one of those where as long as you buy 10, they come down to $0.69. It didn't. I don't know why the store messes with their people like that. If you do "10 participating items", then make the price drop when you hit 10, and not in multiples of 10. But every time they do this, there's different fine print, and in this case, I couldn't even find the fine print. Dumb. But oh well. $0.69 is better than the $0.98 I usually pay. And this is about the only meat some of my kids will eat. (If you can call it meat...? ha!)

Then there's Yoplait Greek yogurt. I never tried it, but my #1MOM raves about it. She won't buy anything else.

$0.19 a piece. And I got a catalina printout for $1.00 off my next purchase of one of these. Yay!

On to cheese...

$0.95 a bag, although they had some in the wrong spot, and it rang up to $3.29. I need to go back and fix this. Plus, these rang up as $1.25, when they were marked $0.95. Back we go!

Then there's these. 2/$4.00 for Oscar Mayer hot dogs. My kids like these, but they don't like the BarS. Not sure why. I don't like the fact that my BarS ones throw sparks in the microwave.

I had a $1.00/2 coupon, and the hot dogs had a free KoolAid FunFizz coupon on the front (when you buy 2), so I got the dogs for $3.00 total, and free KoolAid! Monkey #1 had the KoolAid open and 2 down the hatch before I had a chance to object. He's fast!

So we have to have some healthy food somewhere...

Grapes and "bomanas"! $0.39/lb for the bomanas, and $0.99 for the grapes. My kids eat these like nothing else.

Oh, now THIS was a steal.

The I got $2.00 off each sugar, when I bought 10 KoolAid packs. My price point for KoolAid is normally $0.10/pack, and they were $0.15, but I could see paying $1.50 to get sugar for only $0.49!!! (They were $2.49, with $2.00 off! Awesome!) So it's like paying $2.00 for each batch! I had 5 coupons... so 5 batches! AWESOME!

Moving on...

Mt. Olive pickes $0.99 each! (They had a blinkie machine in front for $0.75 off, and they were marked to $1.99. Round the coupon up to $1.00, so it was $0.99! Yay!) Miracle Whip was $1.98, and I had a $1.50/2 coupon. So $2.46 for those!

A buck a box!

Hamburger/Tuna/Asian Helper... oooh, wait until you hear this one. I had several coupons for $0.75 off three - both paper and e-coupons. Smith's STACKS paper coupons with e-coupons that you can load onto a store card, which means you can use them together! So my paper coupon rounded up to $1.00, then I got $0.75 on top of that. Each box was listed at $1.00. So 3 boxes total $3.00. Minus $1.75, totaling $1.25 for 3! I won't even try the math in my head... but it's a STEAL of a DEAL! The only thing better would be free!

Last but not least, was paper towels, listed at $1.09.

I had a $0.25 coupon for these. Round it to $1.00, and I paid $0.09 a roll! (There were ladies loading these into their carts when I got there. A lady at the checkout told me there was one lady who got ^) ROLLS! That's 60 rolls in caps! ha!!! No wonder the shelf was bare when I first got there! Luckily I ran into Kellene, the Preparedness Pro, and she actually gave me a call, cluing me in that they were re-stocked. Gotta love her!

So apparently I saved this much:

And paid this much:

Not bad! $63.01 for 108 items! Pretty cool! (Oh, and I forgot to use my Miracle Whip coupon, so take another $1.50 off, plus the adjustment for my cheese...) YAY! Can we say, "STEALS of DEALS!!!"? :)

Hope you enjoyed reading. Anyone else find some hot steals this week?

~Jen:)

p.s. - this pic's for my #1MOM

(Oh yeah, and there was a Costa Vida coupon on my receipt. I LOVE that place!)

Win, Lose, or Blog, Week 2 and Atlas Shrug Blog Review

2010-06-18T23:02:00.005-06:00

Week 2 of Win, Lose, or Blog for JenHeadJen is over! Here I am to report my success, or lack thereof.

So we (I) did Zumba on Monday, took a break Tuesday, Zumba on Wednesday, Sculpting on Thursday (OUCH!), and Dance class this morning. I am sore. The scale yesterday showed I lost about 1 lb. Who knows if it was accurate, as I saw a 3 degree variability in the scale - meaning I could adjust the pound by 3* and it would still not hit the metal frame.

My eating has improved slightly, at least for breakfast. I've had about 3-4 days of straight smoothies for breakfast, this morning's included the following, thanks to my sister-in-law's VitaMix machine: 1 carrot, 2 big handfuls of raw spinach, 1 medium fuji apple, 6-8 strawberries, 2 large handfuls of grapes, 3/4 c. orange juice, 2 bananas, 1/2 scoop (10 g) Soy Protein powder, and 4 handfuls of frozen blueberries.

I think I got my fill of fruits and veggies for the day. And I shared with Monkey #3 and Dan Baby. Yum.

Now for the Atlas Shrugs blog review.

(Our roof is leaking. Thank you, swamp cooler.)

I just redeemed money from my PayPal account. I'm considering closing it, after reading some interesting info about a woman's issues with the company. Before I go on, let me just say that I really don't care about where a person's politics lie, but I do care about principle. This is why Dan Baby calls me the Consumer Avenger. I once fought with a manager at Old Navy over a bottle of 25 cent nail polish. She wouldn't honor the posted price, and I have never shopped there since, even though they have cute stuff. Stupid, I know, but it's the principality involved.

Well, what I read is basically summed up here. I know nothing of this woman, or her history. She's passionate about woman's and human rights, and is pro-Israel, anti-Islam-extremist. She seeks funding via donations, and uses PayPal. PayPal has told her they will close her account if she doesn't remove their logo from her websites, as they do not tolerate "hate-speech".

After reading this claim, I thought I'd investigate with an open mind, see if I felt the same, and the provide my favorite readers with a review. And here we are. :)

After investigating her website a little, which is www.atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com, I found heated information. There was no vulgarity, although there is a drawing of a naked woman bending backwards over a cityscape as part of her heading. (So maybe keep the kiddos away when you're reading...) There were also photos of protests where people were holding signs to oppose the brutality of Sharia Law. For those who don't know what Sharia Law is, it's basically when a country's laws are based on the interpretation of the Qu'ran. It often results in death over what we in America would consider non-issues. Like joining a religion other than Islam. It is against Sharia Law for a Muslim to become a Christian, period. The consequence is life.

As for PayPal's claims, I really didn't find any hate-speech, unless fighting against horrible brutality is considered hate-speech. In her article about her fight with PayPal, she notes that there are so many anti-American, pro-extremist websites which are using PayPal as well, with no repercussions. Here's a link to her article, where you can compare with your own eyes: http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2010/06/paypal-cuts-off-atlas-truth-is-the-new-hate-speech.html. I hope ya'll will check it out and see for yourself. This is one Consumer Avenger issue that people can actually participate in, one way or another. And to add to the Win, Lose, or Blog convo, she's the epitome of fitness.

Just like Superwoman. ;)

4 stars for her impassioned website. Nothing like a fight for freedom and human rights.

~Jen:)

A Modern Debtor's Prison

2010-06-17T16:10:00.002-06:00

A few years ago we bought a trailer, as in a mobile home. It was a dump, and my biggest gripe was that the previous owners didn't disclose soooo many problems that I couldn't keep track.

(Here's a picture of our kitchen being torn apart. The gas oven leaked gas and needed replaced. Thank you, Seller's Disclosure, for not disclosing this.)

There were so many renovations to be done that for months, we ended up staying over at Dan's brother's home. That was really, really fun.

(Some used cabinets we bought and stained to replace the ones in our m.h. The originals which were so uneven that my cups would roll out if placed on their sides! ha!!!)

Now we've been here a little over two years, and once again, I'm reminded why this was a financial no-no. No, nothing's exactly wrong, and I should stop here and say that I am very grateful for this home. It has provided us warmth, shelter, and a haven for our family's memories, as well as opportunities to make friends. We've experienced many wonderful things here, and appreciate it for the blessing it is. So this is nothing personal against you, home sweet home. But I talked to a neighbor a few streets over, who is under the impression that we are up for a rate hike again. Let me explain a little, for those who have never lived in a trailer park.

Challenge #1: Once you're in one of these, there are so many laws regarding their use. Ours was built in 1978. I learned from my neighbor that if a mobile home was built (aprox) pre-1990, you are legally not allowed to move it. Assumably this is because it has a high likelihood of falling apart on the highway... ha! It makes sense, when you feel how one of these react to the wind. This is something I wish I'd known, as we'd always considered the option that if we found land cheap enough, we'd move it and then sell it for a better return on our investment. (We're house flippers. Fo' real.)

Challenge #2: Knowing now that it cannot be moved - which would cost anywhere from $7,000-$9,000 - one is basically enslaved to the park ownership. Most parks charge what is called "lot rent", which covers the space the home is on, the taxes on the property, and then generally water/sewer/garbage. The owner can increase rates whenever s/he wants, so long as they give 90 days notice. So if our park owner wants to raise our lot rent from say, $320 to $380, just on a whim, in the middle of the biggest recession since the Great Depression, he can. And he has, much to the po' folks chagrin. (I really feel for the older residents on fixed incomes who had much lower rents, and were bumped up to $380.) We can't do anything about it, except sell the home. Three homes are for sale on our street, and one was for sale so long that they finally had to move it.

(This is all the money we've put into this place. Okay, just kidding. But it feels like it sometimes!)

Now I know that many of you are likely thinking, "Yes, Jen, this is what happens with any home ownership. Complications arise. That's life. And at least you don't have to pay property taxes." Yes, I had thought of this. When our rates were hiked in January, again, I reasoned with Dan that local taxes went up, and that's why our rates went up. But then this neighbor just told me the park owner needed a little more income to pay for his mortgage for his new home up the road. (He used to live in the park.) And his vacations. He likes to travel. More power to him.

It's likely that none of my readers will ever be in a situation to buy a mobile home, but it may be likely that you know someone who will resort to purchasing one, due to financial situations. Who knows, with the current state of the economy. Please forewarn them. It is a modern-day Debtor's Prison, and the only way out is to sell, often for a giant loss. Some aren't even that lucky.

2 stars. It works for the time being, but could certainly be a much better situation.

~Jen:)

Moooove over, Milk Lovers!

2010-06-16T22:31:00.000-06:00

My Monkey #2 loves milk. And I mean loves it. Sometimes I think she'd be malnourished if she didn't drink any, because she hardly eats anything else!

Like many folks lately, we've been juggling pennies in the pocketbook, trying to save as much as we can to get by until the next paycheck. So I've decided to officially dig into my food storage, and see how well we could manage if we couldn't shop at the store. (Ok, really, if I'm going to be honest, we can't afford to go get milk right now, even though it's super-cheap.) My first #10 can that I opened was this one:

Morning Moo's Vitamins A&D Low Fat Milk Alternative. I can't remember why it says "Milk Alternative", but surely there's a good reason that it doesn't say "dehydrated" or "freeze-dried" milk, right?

To test it out, I used my last jug of milk, and stuck a funnel in it. I dropped in 1 cup of the mixture, then added 2 cups of warm water. Add cap, shake it up. Then add "3 pints", or 6 cups of cold water, shake some more, and pop in the fridge to get cold.

Along comes Princess! She asks for her milk, and I pour it out. Lid on the sippy cup, she has at it, and I wait for a reaction, thinking SURELY she'll be able to tell a difference in this milk from her other milk. After all, it is her #1 food group.

She turns away and goes about her business! YAY! Seriously! She had no problem with it.

So I just thought I'd share. Morning Moo's Low Fat Milk (Alternative). Passes the Monkey test! And I added it to Monkey #1's cereal this afternoon (yes, we eat breakfast after noon...), and he didn't notice a difference either! SCOOOORE!

5 stars! I bet your kids'll like it too!

~Jen:)

p.s. - As always, let me know if you try this one! :)

Deals to Meals!

2010-06-15T10:01:00.001-06:00

A few months ago, one of the blogs I was reading had talked about a new website called Deals to Meals. Monkey #4 had just been born, so I looked it over it and made a mental note to find it again, since I didn't really have time to really investigate the site. Time passed, and I mostly forgot about it (including its name), until about a week ago, when I was trying to plan my meals better.

Since I've been couponing, my meal planning has been so haphazard. I realized I needed to get back on some sort of schedule or plan, and remembered this website. I tried to find it, literally going through the archives of some of my favorite couponing blogs. No luck.

Then my friend Melody invited me to help her win a Bosch Mixer from a website she came across, and lo and behold, it's the one I had found! YAY!!!

So here it is! Deals to Meals! They help you synchronize meal planning with money saving, and this month, they're giving away a Bosch Mixer! So go enter! And please tell them that JenHeadJen sent you! (That gets me 5 extra entries! :)

5 Stars for a great website, and brilliant networking!

~Jen:)

Why Castaway Resonates

2010-06-14T11:01:00.002-06:00

This past weekend I caught up with an old friend, who I haven't talked to in literally years. While we were chatting, my husband was watching that movie, Castaway, with Tom Hanks. If you haven't seen it, it's basically a movie about a guy who's a workaholic, who gets on a plane for his work, rather than proposing to the woman he loves, assuming he will propose when he returns home. The plane crashes, he survives, and spends years on a deserted island. He makes friends with a Wilson Volleyball, converses with it, and loves that ball. It turns into his best friend.

Towards the end of the movie, he finally gets off the island, and he and Wilson float away on a raft. He falls asleep, and Wilson falls off the raft, floating away. By the time Tom (sorry, can't remember his name) wakes up, Wilson's too far to reach, and Tom just starts SOBBING that Wilson is too far away. If he gets off his raft to save Wilson, he'd basically die, because he's so starved and exhausted from being on the raft for so long.

Dan Baby's watching this, and LAUGHING. Can you believe? Tom just lost his best friend, who got him through some of his toughest moments on the island, and he's laughing.

So did you see this movie? Did you cry when Tom lost Wilson? It breaks my heart.

I was questioning why this movie is one of Dan's favorites. It's really a tragic film, because (spoiler alert!) in the end, the woman Tom loved is married and has kids with her husband. He got through some of his toughest days on the island, thanks to looking at a picture he had of her in his wallet, holding onto the hope of their future together. Now that he's home, there's no way they can be together, even though in my irrational heart, I wish they could be.

This made me think about my own life, and others' lives. How many of us have friends or family that've moved away, and there's no way you can be with them? What happens when your kids grow up, and you love their guts out their whole lives, but they turn into someone you can't be around, due to sheer geographics? (Or vice versa, with a parent?) Hopefully this isn't the case, but the movie definitely makes me ponder. In the case with my old friend, it's just life. I miss the association we had, but due to our choices, we'll likely never be around one another again. Just like Wilson, we float away from each other, and chances are, we likely won't end up on the same raft again.

The hope from the movie comes at the end, as Tom's looking toward the direction he plans to travel. It's a hopeful new beginning, toward a new love, a new future. I guess that's a good way to look at what each of our paths hold.

3 stars. It's a decent movie, yet sad too, but also promising and hopeful at the same time.

Thoughts?

~Jen:)

Sunday Gratitudinal

2010-06-13T23:16:00.000-06:00

Here we are, already at another Sunday. Seriously, where does the time go?

This week I wanted to share a video as my grateful thing. I saw it on a friend's facebook page, and although it links to a website that claims to be for conservative, center-right, or libertarians, I feel people all over, around, and above any political aisle will appreciate this one. (If not, I have no idea why you're following this blog! ha! ;)

It's 16 minutes long, and the narrator is a little dry at first, but it picks up, and is worth the watch. You may even shed a tear or three, as some of the stories shared are just so inspirational, it's hard to keep 'em all in. Here it is! (Sorry, I just have a link. I have no idea how to embed a video! ;)

http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=56&load=3492

Have a great week, everyone!
~Jen:)

Weekend Giveaways GALORE!

2010-06-12T17:12:00.000-06:00

There are SO many contests and giveaways going on this weekend, I can hardly keep up!

One's here: http://janeymacpress.blogspot.com/ for an awesome Wall Art decal for your laundry room. Dang cool! When I filled in my 3 entries, there were only 17 entries total. Good odds!

The Dandy Giveaway is doing FOUR things this week! It ends Sunday! There's one for My Lil' Lamb, Fusion Muse, Author L.C. Lewis, and Janey Mac Wall Art! (That's where I found the contest for Janey Mac! Sweetness!)

Then there's the Dad's Rock Giveaway, where they're giving away so many things I had to pull out a calendar to take notes on it, so I remember to check back to all these bloggers and see if I've won! AMAZING!

Be sure to check them out! Now I just have to make sure I find and enter them all before the time runs out!

5 bazillion stars for so much fun!

~Jen:)

Win, Lose, or Blog, Week 1

2010-06-12T00:07:00.000-06:00

Week 1 is over! Well, for me at least! My first week at Win, Lose or Blog is past, and I'm afraid I don't have much to say for it! Having looked into several weight-loss plans, I'm still at a loss as to which route to go. And having attempted to eat healthier foods, I have seen little to no difference on my scale. But then again it read 3.2 lbs. on it's little digital screen before I even stepped on it... odd.

All that said, so far I made it to two workouts, one of which left me incredibly sore. I'm thinking a visit to the local massage school clinic tomorrow would be marvelous. My neck has been in pain since before I started this challenge! Ouch!

So no details on the weight-loss until I get a scale that's solid, but I can affirm 2 solid hours at the gym, plus an hour or two scheduled for tomorrow. How's everyone else doing with their goals this week?

~Jen:)

CouponChief Review

2010-06-09T14:55:00.002-06:00

Hey friends!

So you know I love a good deal, and recently I was introduced to a website called CouponChief.com. There are so many couponing websites out there, and I've found it takes a little weeding through them to find the ones that are really helpful. Here's one I think you might like!

Coupon Chief allows its users to both give and take Coupon Codes that can be used on other websites. They range from the most random of things to the most common. I searched for Walmart codes (which they had), Amazon codes, and even one for something I saw in a magazine, which was called Vitalicious. Sure enough, they had a code for it! You can click on the code and shop directly with it on the vendor's website, making it easy to use and not lose! This could save a lot of people a LOT of money! Brilliant!

One thoughtful feature of this website is that there are expiration dates listed for many of the coupons, and there is also a feedback option you can use for after you shop with the coupon. You can even mark coupons as "expired", so you have the opportunity to feel like you're in a community of couponers, sharing information to equally benefit and help one another. All for free! Pretty cool, I thought!

With this website, you can also upload your own coupons to share. Say you receive a coupon for Bed, Bath & Beyond in the mail, and your coupon shows an online code. You can participate in their "Pays-2-Share" program, where you actually can get paid by sharing those coupons! It's easy to sign up into this special program, and it takes only a minute or so.

There were only a few downfalls about this website that I found. One was when I tried to share a coupon. I had to input all the info and hit "submit", before I got a warning screen telling me that the retailer that I was submitting for did not allow participation in the website. Bummer. It would've been nice to have a step-by-step input option, where I could input the store name and hit "submit" to quickly find out whether or not the store participated, and then input the rest of the gritty details.

Overall, I give it 4 stars. Hope you enjoy and find some great deals! Please let me know if you do, and what you think when you check it out!

~Jen:)

Disclaimer: I was offered compensation for an unbiased and opinionated review. All views expressed are completely and wholeheartedly my own.

Summertime Blues

2010-06-08T10:01:00.000-06:00

Are you sad? I'm not! At least not today! But I do have the summertime blues! Blue jeans, turned into shorts! Well, they were actually capris, but they kept falling off my hips (not because they were big, but they were just heavy and not flattering at that length), so I've been meaning to hem them for years. And I finally did! Here's how it went.

Here they are, in full faded glory! (Kudos if you get the pun!) They fell about 4" above my ankles, which is not a pretty length for a short girl.

I cut the legs to the length I wanted, being careful to cut straight and congruently on each leg. These had a horizontal grain (or lines in the fabric) to go by, so I tried to keep with that as much as possible.

Then I turned them inside out to begin rolling the hem to my desired width. At first I attempted a wide hem, but Dan Baby said it looked cheesy (probably accentuated my shortness), so I ripped it out and went with a narrow one. ***Fashion tip*** - you tall folks look fabulous in wide hems. If you're short, a wide one tends to emphasize your shortness, so narrower is generally better.

I did one 1/2" turn of the hem, and pressed it with my iron. Then another roll, and another press. (If you try this, you may have to rip out the side seam a little, or you may have puckering.)

Pin the hem in place, and sew along the edge! My machine was fighting with me - or I was fighting with it - to get get the stitching even, so I eventually had to turn it right side out and sew a careful line along the imagined hem. But it worked!

Here's the real hem... 1/2" thick.

And the finished product! Ta Da!!! Crappy poo-poo 2 star too-long capris turned into 5 star flattering shorts! YAY! And all for the cost of electricity and a spool of jeans thread. (A little patience doesn't hurt!) Hope you enjoyed! Have you done any sewing projects this summer yet?

~Jen:)

CFL Hell: Not Such a Bright Idea

2010-06-07T23:50:00.001-06:00

The US Gov't has regulated that after 2012, it will be illegal to sell incandescent lightbulbs. Just in case you're not keen on the terminology, here's an incandescent bulb. They look like this:

And this:

Due to the "overwhelming evidence" of global warming, our legislators have chosen the high road of energy efficiency. After 2012, you will only be able to purchase CFL bulbs, or compact fluorescent light bulbs. They look like this.

It is utterly impossible to hang a lampshade on one of these, so all lampshades currently in use will have to be transitioned to stay put on one. But OH, the energy they'll save. See, look. Here's what the U.S. Gov't's website says:

Did You Know?

If every American home replaced just one light with an ENERGY STAR light, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, about $700 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions of about 800,000 cars.

Oooooh, peachy. Except for the fact that I CANNOT SCREAMINGLY DISAGREE MORE! These light bulbs are a piece of CRAP! CRAP DINNER, to be exact.

Over the last few months, the only bulbs in our house that have needed replaced were the CFL's. (And they were installed at the same time or after our incandescents were installed.) Our incandescents haven't burnt out, but our CFL's have.

The other reason I hate these bulbs: they are a BIOHAZARD!!!

Here's what happened to the bulb in our ceiling fan in our dining room:

It literally fell out, crashing onto our computer, table, and floor. Having heard the hype about disposal of these bulbs, I knew they needed special care. But I clearly couldn't get on my computer to figure out how to safely clean up the bulb, since it broke ON my computer. Now that it's cleaned off, here are the instructions I found. They're 2 pages long. To clean up a dang lightbulb?!!!!

While some might shrug me off as being over reactive, I submit that if you have evacuate the area and air out your house for 15 minutes after one of these breaks, they SHOULD NOT BE IN YOUR HOME!!! And if you can't use your household broom to clean the dust up, due to recontamination of the dust and possible poisoning of yourself or loved ones if it's ingested by cross-contamination, once again, I submit, it is NOT a bright idea!

Please, please, please, when you vote in whoever you plan to vote for in 2010, or in 2012, please make sure they pay attention to the possible negative side affects of this STUPID legislation. My experience is that they do not, in fact, last longer than incandescents, they are dangerous to dispose of, and they pose a high threat of mercury poisoning to our kids. Clearly a bad idea.

0 stars. Please write your congressperson about this one.

~Jen :/

Mega Swagbucks Friday!

2010-06-04T11:01:00.000-06:00

Hey ya'll!

There's something FABULOUS I want to share with you! Towards the bottom of my blog is a little gadget (a widget, actually:) to do a "Swagbucks" search. If you haven't heard of them, consider yourself referred! It's a search engine that when you use it, you can earn "Swagbucks" that can be traded in for gift cards, money on websites, and the like! I signed up a little while ago, just to check it out, and so far, I've got over 900 Swagbucks! It only takes 450 to buy a $5 Amazon gift card. Three friends have signed up by my referral, and I seem to be earning SB's when they earn them! Wild!

The trick on this is, sometimes you win Bucks, and sometimes you don't. You never know what you'll get, but the chances are that the more you search, the more you earn. I use it now just like I used to use Google for searches. Here's a link for you to try it for yourself, and if you sync your account with Facebook or Twitter or grab their widget, you can have more chances for easy referrals or winnings! So fun!

Extra tidbit: they have MEGA SWAGBUCKS FRIDAYs, where the chances are even higher for earning Bucks. And they also have a blog, where the blog dude will give out codes to get Bucks without searching for them. You can also earn them by doing treasure hunts where you go somewhere and search for clues to a Swagcode. But if you're lazy and just want to view some promotions of their sponsors, you can also earn Bucks that way, although in my experience, it's not that profitable (or worth the time).

I'll be sure to update everyone when I cash in my SB's for those gift cards. Hopefully the transaction is as easy as I'm hoping! :)

4.5 Stars! :)

~Jen:)