I forgot one more new thing for 2012…it has to do with this blog. We are getting a new look!
Yep, finally biting the bullet, no more procrastinating about it. Remember when I said I was going to play with my header photos, well I never did. Nothing like stating the obvious there! Ha! Though now we have a great camera to create decent header photos. The “other” photographer in family may have to take that on, but she’s got so much on her plate that I doubt she’d have time. That’s why we recruited her online friend to spruce up our blog. I got a sneak peek the other day and I really like it! I am excited and hopeful that our friend will have it completely done soon. So stay tuned…..soon and very soon….
One More New Thing for 2012
Request a Sample from Carmex
I love Carmex products and had to share this! You can request a sample, BUT it’s kind of like a giveaway from Carmex. You enter your information ONCE and they draw 50 names a week to receive a Carmex product. Here’s the direct link!
http://mycarmex.com/request-a-sample/default.aspx
In addition, Carmex is having a 75 years with 750,000 Carmex Fans giveaway on Facebook! Once they reach 500,000 fans they are giving away 500 tubes of chap stick & money! Then at 750,000 fan it’s 750 Carmex sticks & more money!!! Check them out at …
https://www.facebook.com/carmexlipbalm
Then go to the 74 Years Promotion Tab.
AND they have another! Go to the Giveaway Tab! That is for a Hollywood Romance Giveaway with a movie prize pack.
I’m entering today! Have Fun! Hope you win!
A Favor to Ask

I need all of you Facebook users to do me a favor if you “like” company sites with your FB account. Check out Brilliant Baby Products. Brilliant Baby Products desire is to make parenting easier and fun! If so inclined, please “like” them and spread the word to your friends. A comment or like here and there would be appreciated too! After all we all want to share “brilliant” products, right?
Winter Without Snow
Ok, I know, I know talking about the weather is pish-posh, but seriously is this going to be the winter without snow? I have lived in Illinois for nearly 18 years and while we have had winters without much snow, but we have never, ever gone until mid-January without any significant snowfall. We experienced 50′ weather over the weekend! Today and tomorrow is much of the same. I am not complaining at all and would like to see a very short winter, as it is my least favorite season. I wonder if this will be the latest we will get snow in Chicago? What if we don’t get any?
What I Like About Winter
I love skating, but don’t get to do much of it with many of my little ones needing lots of help, so I rarely get ice time when we go.
I love cross country skiing but we need snow to do that activity.
I enjoy sledding with our children.
I love the first big snow fall or snow storm.
Snowball fights.
Making snow angels with my children.
Even though winter has nothing to do with this holiday, I still love a white Christmas.
What I Dislike About Winter
Being cooped up inside.
The cold.
The shorter days.
Less sunlight.
Driving in snow.
After writing those two lists, it appears that I do not hate winter as much as I thought I did.
How about you? How’s winter where you are?
MLK Day – January 16
In just a week it will be Martin Luther King Day – Monday, January 16th. There is valuable information on this site not only about MLK, but how others can volunteer or serve those in need.
http://mlkday.gov/plan/library/communications/posters.php
Take your children on an educational tour about a man who made a difference and encourage them to change the world by making a difference too.
That’s My Girl: A Revell Blog Tour
That’s My Girl is a book written parenting expert Rick Johnson, founder of “Better Dads”. This book maps out how dads can develop a healthy, closer relationship with their daughters, and gives moms insight into the important role a father plays in the life of their girls, including her relationship to her father.
The father-daughter relationship is very important in a girls life. According to Mr. Johnson, this is the one relationship that determines how she feels about herself, what kinds of men she is attracted to and how she expects to be treated by other men. I know as I read the pages of this book, I couldn’t help thinking about my relationship with my Dad, who passed away 6 years ago. He was a good provider, active in our lives as little girls (I have 3 younger sisters) but once we hit preteen and teen years he became much more distant.
I agreed with some of the things Mr. Johnson shared, but other things I didn’t. There are always exceptions to the rule and there is the God factor. I believe certain areas of my life could have been disastrous, were not because of God having my back so to speak. I loved the stories he shared about his teenager daughter. She was a character!
Mr. Johnson does a thorough job of showing Dads how to help map their daughters future. Overall I believe this book is a good resource for fathers especially, but mothers will benefit as well.
“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
Fun with Food Fridays
Introducing Fun with Food Fridays!
We have had fun taking pictures of food lately with our new camera. I know, a tell tale sign that we have been taken by the shutter bug. These are intermixed photos taken by my daughter and I. Here is our fun with food:
Carrot Cake by Theresa

Cream Cheese Brownies by Virtuous

Center of a Cantalope by Virtuous

Pumpkin Stem by Virtuous

Honey and Garlic Mixture by Theresa

Bad Day, Wonderful Husband
Yesterday I had a really bad day. Called my husband bemoaning my situation and what does he do? First he has an hour drive home, then he had an appointment at our old house about some work on the kitchen, but he still took time to stop and get me these:
Roses! Sigh. My favorite. Bad day, wonderful husband. He made my day. Really.
My husband got me roses the first Valentine’s Day we were together. I was working in Halifax and they were delivered to my door, while he was in Florida! Then on visits between Canada and the States he quite often had a rose on the seat of the car when he picked me up from the airport. Romantic man, eh? He doesn’t get me flowers often, but when he does he always surprises me. He said my sad, weary face yesterday lit up when I saw the roses. 🙂 Then he told me he loves surprising me. Awww….While he and the roses brightened my day, I was not totally alleviated from my rough patch as the situation stayed on my mind late into the night and is still on my mind today. However, I do smile every time I look at these and stop to smell them, and I did enjoy taking pictures of them….except doing the top view because I am not tall enough to look down through the lense to get a decent photo!
Please note: These are actually grocery store roses and are doing wonderful so far. My husband is really picky about flowers and hates it when the roses do not open up! Then again, so do I!






























