Graduation Gift - Life on Record

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Dolls123. Congratulations! My nephew is graduating from high school at the end of this month. This is not just a friend's son who I can buy a personalized pen for. This is my nephew! The gift has to be good!

So... how does a personalized CD with recorded messages from family and friends sound? Can I pull it off? Not by myself! That's where Life on Record comes in. This is a great service!

When you set up an account, they give you a toll-free phone number and an invitation number that you can give to all the relatives and friends you want. When they call in, their message is recorded... thoughts, stories, memories, greetings... whatever they want to say. And when they record the message, they have the opportunity to preview it and change it if they choose.

When all the messages have been recorded (by your deadline), you download the messages to iTunes and create a CD. It is so simple. And if you're not comfortable making your own CD, they can do that for you, too, as well as personalized CD labels. Now, I have a unique yet affordable gift for my nephew.

This would be a thoughtful birthday gift, an anniversary keepsake, wedding gift, or even a cool gift for a teacher at the end of the year. It's definitely one of a kind!

Life on Record has agreed to supply one of my readers with the $49.99 Events Package! Here's how to enter this giveaway.

1. Visit Life on Record and take a look around.

2. Leave a comment on this post telling me what you like best about Life on Record and what event you would use it for. The deadline for leaving comments on this post is 11:59 CST May 11, 2009. Please make sure I have a way to contact you via email.

3. If you follow my blog, leave an additional comment for another chance to win.

4. If you subscribe to my blog through a reader, leave another comment for still another chance.

5. Blog about this giveaway, and receive yet another entry. Leave a comment with your blog link.

Good luck!

This post was made possible by the friendly people at the Family Review Network.

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Thursday 13

Visit the home of the NEW Thursday 13!
Here's a tribute to Paul Simon.
13 ways to leave your lover.

1. Just cross that bridge, Midge.
2. Hop in the van, Ann.
2. Go take his camper, Amber.
3. Just walk out the door, Lenore.
4. Make sure to pack a suitcase, Stace.
5. Get in a plane and fly, Skye.
6. Walk out the back gate, Kate.
7. Take the kids with you, Lu Lu.
8. Set the stage, Paige.
9. Join a harem, Karen.
10. Do it if you dare, Claire.
11. Shoot yourself out of a cannon, Shannon.
12. Don't think about death, Beth.
13. Just get yourself free, Leigh.

tee hee! Just some silliness for today.

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Mother's Day Giveaway

You could win ten (yes, 10) fabulous prizes just in time for Mother's Day, for you, or for your mom! Check out this blog: Mom Made That!

Thursday 13

13 expenses I need to figure out how I'm going to pay on a single income with no child support.

1. a place to live, whether rent or mortgage
2. electricity
3. natural gas and water usage
4. phone
5. Internet (can't live without it!)
6. Cable or dish service
7. car
8. car insurance
9. gasoline
10. health insurance and monthly health costs
11. groceries
12. education expenses for the kids (supplies, music, etc.)
13. entertainment, clothing, or necesities.

What am I forgetting? Anyone know a part time job a mom with two kids and a full time job could get that would actually be worthwhile?

Visit Thursday-13 here!
And, no, I'm not moving out right now. But I've been considering it for almost a year, so I'm starting to realize it's inevitable, so I better make some plans. It's hard!

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heads or tails

Today's prompt for Heads or Tails (click for more participants), hosted by the very talented Barb, is "Once Upon a Time."

Once upon a time, I was a young girl who wanted nothing more than to get married and have children, lots of children. I'd marry a romantic man, my very own Prince Charming. He'd treat me like a princess, and we'd have a lovely home. I would be a teacher after my children started school. The whole family would be perfect. As a child, if I wasn't playing house, I was playing school. One of my favorite movies was Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968, the original with Lucille Ball) where they had about a dozen children. That's what I wanted. A dozen children! And a house with a laundry chute! How cool would that be? And being a list maker, I'd have schedules, charts, and lists everywhere to keep things organized.

Well... I don't have to tell you that life is not like the movies. My "once upon a time" didn't happen. I am blessed with twins, but I have made so many mistakes and decisions that didn't turn out to be in my best interest, and I have grown cynical. I know there is no "once upon a time." I know there is no "Prince Charming(for me, anyway)." I don't believe men are generally romantic, and I decided long ago that my twins were enough children for me, and I love them very much. I did become a teacher, and I question that decision as well. And I'm not sure if I believe true love exists since things in my current marriage continue to turn sour.

Once upon a time? There are no fairy tales in my real life.

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Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap

I'm so excited! Mamarazzi is hosting her THIRD Favorite Things Swap. I don't know how she does it!

I didn't get to participate in the first one, but I had a blast filling a package of MY favorite things for the second one, and I got some great things from my partner, too. It's so fun to give and receive good mail. I've got to put my thinking cap on to come up with some different ideas. Hmmm... what, excactly ARE my favorite things?

Say it Forward

5 Minutes for Mom hosts a weekly carnival where we get to recognize our loyal commenters. Bloggers live for comments, right? This time, I'm honoring "D." She comments on most of my posts, no matter what the subject is. She's supportive, fun, funny, kind, and an all-around great person.

Her blog is called My Life is Based on a True Story. I love that name! She blogs about a variety of subjects... her two children, movies, and her pets: a dog (Belgian Malinois), 2 cats (nothing fancy), lizard (bearded dragon), and a hedgehog. She's a great facebook friend and a FIRL (friend in real life) now since we actually got to meet in person a few months ago. I hope you'll hop over and visit her blog if you haven't already had the pleasure. And "D," this is for you!

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Friday Fill-in

Please join us for a little fun with Friday Fill-ins!

And...here we go!

1. Join me in a round of applause for our hostess!

2. Put a little pep in your day! (Or pep-TO if it's been one of those days.)

3. Happiness is intangible - but something we all strive to reach.

4. Dazed and confused.

5. I'm waiting for my next vacation!

6. Chocolate is hard to resist.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to resting, tomorrow my plans include a birthday party for my daughter-in-law, and Sunday, I want to go to church then relax. Kind of a boring weekend here. But I've been sick, so that's okay with me.

I hope your weekend is off to a great start!

Heads or Tails

Barb hosts Heads or Tails on Tuesdays each week. Check out the Mr. Linky on her page for this week's participants.

Today, she's proposed the topic is "Reason."

Look at this cat! (The girl holding her isn't bad, either!) But I am going to give reasons why I love my cat, and I'm so glad we got her. We've had Lacy since August of 2008. A local animal shelter had rescued her at a car dealership.

Reason 1 is she is so soft. Sooooo sooooofffffttttttt! I love petting her and holding her.

Reason 2 is she is cute, all round, and cuddly, beautiful, really. She sleeps in the crook of my feet most nights, and sometimes right on top of me, and I love it. It's comforting. She follows me around the house sometimes and "talks" to me.

Reason 3 is she is there for me if I have a bad day. I swear holding her lowers my blood pressure immediately.

And Reason 4 is she's entertaining. She likes to play with me, love bite me, and she loves her cat toys, balls, paper, and is endlessly curious. The printer fascinates her. So does the camera as shown in this picture. She got right in front of it.

I love Lacy! (Cue theme song music from I Love Lucy!)

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Say it Forward #4

Say it Forward is a weekly carnival hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom that gives bloggers a chance to recognize their loyal commenters.

This week, I want to say thanks to Melanie for leaving me encouraging and frequent comments. It's so nice to know that someone out there cares. And I want you to know I appreciate you!

Melanie, who is from Australia, is a stay-at-home mom to adorable Lillee. She enjoys scrapbooking (like me, but she's way better), stamping, card-making, travel, and photography. Her blogs include Through Our Eyes, Tutorial Blog, and 101 in 1001 Days. Please go visit her and give her some comment love!

This badge is for you, Melanie! Thanks for making me smile.

Visit other Say it Forward participants at 5 Minutes for Mom!

And don't forget to enter to win a coupon for a free box of Clorox Wipes in the Decor Canister.

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Brace Face

Brace Face

Tinsel Teeth

Marcia Brady Metal Mouth

Remember all that?

My twins, age 12, who will always be my babies, got braces on Tuesday. They are far less obtrusive than the braces I remember from my youth - not that I had braces. I wasn't so fortunate. Oh, no! My older sister had them, but I guess they ran out of money before they got to me because all I had was a crummy retainer which didn't help. It's something I look back on with a bit of regret, not having braces in my youth.

I would get them now, if only I could afford them, and if only my teeth hadn't become so thin and weak. I'm glad I'm able to give my kids an attractive, healthy smile. Braces are also far more common now than they were when I was a teenager, and the kids are getting them at younger ages.

Oh, they complain about the pain right now, but that will fade. Most of their friends have them, so they are not alone like poor Marcia (except for that one boy). I think their braces look great!

Don't forget to enter to win a coupon for a free box of Clorox Wipes in the New Decor Container.

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Clorox Wipes Decor Canister

Winners: 8 25 23 6 11 20
Timestamp: 2009-04-15 22:22:33 UTC

I will be contacting you via email. Thanks!

I like a clean house. I get frustrated when my house is not clean, which is often, since we have six people here, a dog, and a cat. And germs? Ugh! I don't want to think about what could be lurking in that sink.

Good thing there are Clorox Wipes! They kill 99.9% of all germs! And now they come in some cute, new, decorative canisters, so I can leave them on the counter where they're handy. Aren't they pretty? (see image above)

The canister contains a thicker, pre-moistened wipe that is better for cleaning and leaves a streak-free shine on surfaces. There are 8 different designer canisters to choose from.

I'm giving away SIX coupons worth $5.49 each toward the purchase of Clorox Wipes in the decor canister. That's the suggested retail price, so they should be FREE for six lucky winners (one each)! All you need to do is leave a comment on this post by 11:59 PM on April 13, 2009. Make sure I have a way to reach you via email.

Post this contest on your blog and receive FIVE extra entries! You could win twice! Leave the link to your blog post in the comments.

This post was written for Family Review Network and Clorox Wipes Decor Canister.

Comments are now closed for this post. Winners to be announced later today.

Heads or Tails

Three things - that's the topic for Heads or Tails today.

Three things that are weighing heavily on my mind right now.

1. Will the oldest step-daughter move out soon since she can't seem to carry a full-time course load in JUNIOR college and do well - flunks a class or two every semester. Dad just keeps giving her chance after chance. She only works about 2 days a week, and she pays for nothing, and my husband doesn't understand how come that bothers me.

It doesn't help that she comes and goes at all hours, has two boys that come over regularly (not at the same time, but she's playing them), smokes Hookah (in the backyard), skips classes, and doesn't contribute either financially or in any other way to the household. Her attitude puts a pall on the house, and she is a bad role model for her sister and my 12 year old twins. If I want to leave because of her, does that make me a bad person in your eyes as it does in his?

2. What can I do besides teaching? I am so burned out. I love teaching, but the discipline and behavior issues, along with an unsupportive administration and numerous federal and state laws, make my job extremely difficult. My hands are tied as far as what I can and can't do, so I must put up with insubordination. We play nurse, counselor, psychologist, and parent to these kids. I love them, but I have no energy anymore. The more we do, the more they ask us to do. What can one do with an English degree other than teach?

3. Do I need to move closer to where my mom lives to be with her? She is undergoing chemo for lung cancer and is doing well so far, but you never know. She's only an hour away, and she has a great church and great friends, but she lives alone, and I worry.

I have a lot weighing heavily on my mind right now. You might want to go visit some other HoTs for something more cheery!

Thursday 13

Since I call myself Forgetfulone, over the years, I figured out ways to help me remember things. I actually have a pretty good memory. I just tend to forget what I had in mind when I opened the refrigerator door or whether or not I shampooed my hair when I first got in the shower. What works, and what doesn't?

What works:

1. If I have to remember a large chunk of information, I write it down and rewrite it, and maybe even write it again. Rewriting my notes is how I made it through college biology.

2. Mnemonic devices. For example My Dear Aunt Sally (for MDAS - order of operations, multiply, divide, add, subtract.)

3. Sending an email to myself.

4. Leaving a voice mail for myself.

5. I'm a list maker, and I use them.

6. Using a planner or calendar, especially my yahoo calendar that send me reminders of upcoming events via email.

7. If I have to remember a speech or presentation, I learn it in small pieces rather than trying to memorize it all at once.

8. Outlines help me remember critical information. I'm a left-brained, structured person, so this method works for me.

9.And having other people in the house to remind me of things helps, too!

What doesn't work for me:

10. The number/rhyme method. Basically, this is listing numbers and something that rhymes with each number that will help you remember an item on a list.

11. The alphabet method. This is listing the things you have to remember in alphabetical order as the name suggests.

12. Drawing a mind map or concept map. I'm much too literal, left-brained, and structured to make any sense of these.

13. Relying on my memory not to fail me!

But I still don't see how this is going to help me figure out what I'm looking for when I walk into a room and inevitably can't remember!

Check out other Thursday 13 posts here.

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