Mother Writes Lovely Blog About her Preemie

Every once in a while, it is nice to read a lovely blog that a mother has written about her child. There is a blog called Micro-Preemie to Miracle that mom Sarah Bollinger started about her son, Everett, who was born at 15 weeks premature. He’s come a long way! I always find stories about preemies to be very interesting. There is something fascinating about the story of a teeny, tiny, baby that struggles to grow and thrive. Often, their stories are uplifting and inspiring. It is nice to read something positive! Last December, I wrote about a preemie named … Continue reading

A Very Frugal Christmas Part I

While I try really hard not to get too caught up in the commercialism of Christmas gifting, I absolutely love the magic of Christmas morning with stuffed stockings and a good number of beautifully wrapped presents under the Christmas tree.  In years past, I have purchased moderately expensive gifts for my family and thought nothing of it.  However, the current economic downturn combined with graduate student loans and a car payment, has changed my ability to buy whatever I deemed to be perfect gifts for my family.  This year we are doing something very different. Unlike previous years, we set … Continue reading

Upcoming Genealogy Events – Week of December 4, 2011

Looking for a genealogy event, conference, or class? There could be one happening soon, located near where you live. Check out this quick list of upcoming genealogy events that will be taking place this week. You could also browse through your local newspaper, to find out about more genealogy events. On December 6, 2011, the George Memorial Library, which is located in Richmond, Texas, will hold a “Genealogy 101” program. It will start at 10:00 in the morning. This program will give you a basic introduction to the genealogy resources that you can access from the library. It will also … Continue reading

Home School Blogger Spotlight: Itsy Bitsy Learners

Itsy Bitsy Learners was conceived by Alison out of love for preschool education. Alison has earned a BA, with honor, in Early Childhood Studies. She is originally from the UK and previously worked at the Henry Tyndale School with Autistic Children. In addition, she worked in Nagoya, Japan at an International Early Years Program. Excelling in her job there she was granted two promotions in six months! She then married and immigrated to Texas. Whew! She certainly has a wealth of experience, exposure and energy. Alison is currently a stay at home mom with two children who undoubtedly benefit from … Continue reading

A Christmas Party for $40

For those of you who were reading about my progress in planning our ward Christmas party, I must give an update! It was actually a huge success. So much so that I’m hoping they don’t think I should be in charge of this every year. I have to admit that it added a lot of stress to my life during the Christmas season, which is already stressful enough as it is. So, I think I might have to pass if they ask me next year. The decor was the best part, I think. My Bishop originally told me that I … Continue reading

Church at Christmas

A while ago I promised to write about this year’s Christmas service as it proved to be interesting for a variety of reasons. I remember lots of times around various holidays spent at church. We’re church-going folk and always have been. When I was a kid I once played Joseph in a short little Christmas play in the middle of mass. As the children in my family slowly grew up we became less and less likely to attend the mass celebrated at an earlier hour meant for children. The largest reason for our decision to attend at another service was … Continue reading

The Best and Worst of 2010

While we look ahead to 2011, we should also take the time to look back on 2010 and consider some of the best and worst of the past year. Actually, anything good almost always has its downside and that is what I will be tackling in this blog. While I am a huge fan of Wii Fit Plus, video games that incorporate exercise can become a replacement for “real” exercise. My son got the Kinect for his Xbox this Christmas and I have seen him become active again, since he is stuck inside for winter. So there are real benefits … Continue reading

Christmas Card Coma

I received my very first Christmas video card last week and bid adieu to my electronic holiday greeting virginity. The Hallmark e-card stripped me of my seasonal innocence and now I guess I should expect my mail carrier to travel a little lighter next Christmas. Apparently, holiday e-cards are the wave of the future and soon traditional Christmas greetings, like these, will go the way of the Walkman and typewriter. Say it ain’t so. How many paper holiday cards did you receive this year? I sent out nearly 90 and have received more than half that amount as we wrap … Continue reading

Creating a New Year’s Eve Scrapbook

New Year’s Eve is right around the corner. Have you been thinking about capturing memories of your New Year’s Eve celebrations? In our family we have the same tradition year after year. My husband splurges on a delicious home-cooked meal of lobster, steak and shrimp. We drink glass after glass of Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice and play games together as a family. We typically end the evening watching several episodes of “The Three Stooges.” While I always take pictures during Christmas celebrations, I hadn’t really considered doing that for New Year’s Eve. So this year I am going to start … Continue reading

Animal Victories in 2010

As we close out 2010, let’s look at some great end of the year news for animals. The ASPCA has released a list of their legislative victories from the past year. The majority of the laws passed are by individual state governments, but there was one successful federal bill signed into law by President Obama on December 9. In April animal rights received a blow when the Supreme Court invalidated an 11-year-old law called The Crush Act. The act banned videos depicting the sick practice of crushing; the name itself refers to when a woman in high heels would step … Continue reading