Gotta Love Those Lit Up Parks

Have you ever been camping in a state park? Are you a RV camper or a tent camper? Do you like to be snug as a bug in a bed or rustic in a sleeping bag on the ground? Whatever way you prefer camping out you know that it sure is fun to camp out in those beautiful state parks. One thing that I think is fun to look at is all the rope light that comes from the RV's. It looks festive and almost like Christmas-time even in the summertime or in October (my preferred time to camp).

Chris' parents have become RV campers and they have hit a few parks in our home state and even gone out of the state for Thanksgiving. They know that if they are going to fully adopt the RV lifestyle they have to have a good set of rope lights. Just last week I was looking online with my Mother-In-Law as she looked for a good set and I mentioned the benefits of LED lights. I have written here before about LED lights and how much I like them for Christmas tree lights or decorative house lights. I am glad to hear that you can decorate your RV with LED lights too. Did you know that LED rope lights only use about .47 watts per foot of energy while the older lights used 6 watts per foot? They will last more than 50,000 hours and they generate very little heat. That is my favorite part because of the drought we are in and how dry our parks can be. We don't want a horrible fire to start because of some lights on a RV.

For those of us who are slow to adopt the "Green" lifestyle, I think LED lights are a good start.

Go check them out and Happy Camping!!

A Christmas Card With A Mission

It is that time again, folks! Time for turkey, stuffing, football, and family. Of course that is just this week. I know that many people are already making plans for Christmas. Putting up Christmas lights, listening to Christmas music, and buying presents are just a few things on the agenda. How about sending out all those Christmas cards? If you are smart you have already started addressing the envelopes and licking the stamps. I know I have already started writing all the cards for the ladies in my MOPS group at church.

The only problem with Christmas cards, though, is that it can be so hard to find truly beautiful cards these days. Sure, you can find pretty ones and funny ones and touching ones. But, what about the ones that are worthy of putting in a frame after the holidays? Do you have a hard time finding those? What about businesses that want to send out lovely Holiday Cards corporate ? I know you want to make an impression on your customers with your meaningful selection and hopefully gain some new ones in the process.

While I write this post I think about how important a pretty card from home would be for our soldiers overseas. I can only imagine how homesick they are this time of year. There is an organization called Soldier's Angels that provides all types of aide and comfort to our men and women soldiers. I am sure Christmas time is a busy time for these selfless angels.

There is a company called The Gallery Collection that offers those beautiful Christmas cards I mentioned above and they are partnering with Soldier's Angels to send every soldier, who desires one, a Christmas card in a their care package just to say "Thank You For All You Do!". There will also be a blank card that he/she can personally send home. A little taste of home for those who are so far from home and protecting all of our homes. Thank you Gallery Collection for making Christmas a little more special for all of our heroes.

I Know We Can Talk!

One thing I have learned since I started staying home with Caleb is that Mommies LOVE to chatter talk. We love to give each other advice--appreciated and sometimes unwarranted--talk about parenting techniques, and discuss the great products that work the best for us. There are so many new products that come out each year geared towards mothers and they try to convince you that you NEED them to properly raise your bundles of joy. But, when you talk to your Mommy friends you learn the truth about each thing and what works and doesn't and what really is essential and what is just a waste of money.

I also know that we SAHM's LOVE free stuff. We work so hard to keep a budget so that our Hubbies hard earned money isn't squandered away. What is better than free stuff?? Now, picture free stuff and the opportunity to talk about it. Isn't that cool?!

Check out ChatterJam.com . ChatterJam works to create word-of-mouth (a.k.a. chatter or talk) about products and services. It is geared towards the Christian market. That makes it even better. Here's how it works. A Jammer signs up and will receive products for FREE, be the first to hear about cool new stuff, and influence things from books to movies. You get to influence and guide what products are made more available to the general public and then you will receive special discounts in purchasing these products.

Hmmmm. Free stuff, chatter, discounts....sounds like a great deal for this SAHM. Go check them out!

An On-Line Shopper's Best Friend

I am always in awe at what the Internet has to offer these days. You can catch up to the minute news, keep a blog like this one, seek advice, and shop.

Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I LOVE to do my shopping on-line. Heck! If I lived in a big enough city I would do my grocery shopping on-line and have it delivered right to my door. No such luck out here in the country.

Anyway, I also really like the fact that you can also get your coupons or coupon codes on-line. You don't have to cut any newspapers up. You can find these type of deals all over the Internet. When I do my Christmas shopping this year, on-line of course, I will be sure to look for some proper coupons. For example, I might look up some Chadwick's coupons for my Step-Mom or I could look up some Petsmart coupons to find some great Petsmart disounts for Eowyn's present.

I don't know exactly what I am going to get everyone for Christmas but I do know that I can save as much as possible by just doing a little sleuthing on-line.

Being Smart With Insurance

As a Stay-At-Home Mom one of my major jobs is to e in charge of the bill paying and and ensuring we stay within the budget Chris has established. As I've taken over this responsibility I have learned how much some required bills can really be. I used to have no idea what some of these bills would cost. One of those major bills is for insurance. Whoo! Insurance sure can be expensive. I very glad that Chris has budgeted for each type of insurance we have.

I have also found out that I enjoy discovering ways to save money on various things around the house. But, is there a way to save money on insurance? I believe that one of the best ways to save money on insurance is to just shop around. Get quotes from all kinds of providers until you find the one that works best for your needs and your budget. But, Sarah, how can I shop around for insurance when I have a toddler and one on the way? Glad you asked!

You can go online and do all your insurance shopping from the comfort of your own home. Just sit down, log onto the Internet, and get free insurance quotes for all kinds of insurance. There are various websites that provide these free quotes and SecureInsuranceQuotes.Com is one of those sites. You can fill out an application for quotes for all kinds of insurance including, car insurance, homeowners insurance, and term life insurance.

It is good to know that I have the option to shop around for the right insurance, with the right price, and not have to pack up half the house to shop around town with my toddler. Isn't the Internet a wonderful thing?!



Post sponsored by SecureInsuranceQuotes.com

Christmas Shopping Without the Crowds!

I am sure everyone out there has heard of Black Friday and if not, it is the day after Thanksgiving and is the biggest shopping day of the year. Some people observe Black Friday like it were another holiday and they stand in line at 5 am till the stores open and then they shop all day long. There is plenty of strategy to be had too. Most stores don't advertise their Black Friday sales until the Thanksgiving Day newspaper comes out and if you are an avid Black Friday shopper that can really eat into your Thanksgiving Day. Who wants to miss out on the food, football games, and naps? I know I don't!

Being the Internet crazy person that I am, I LOVE to shop online. It is so much easier for me to sit down for a couple of hours and shop that way than it is to drive 30-45 minutes (depending on traffic and usually more during the holidays) into town only to have to face the crowds. Ick! By now I am sure you can figure that Black Friday shopping has never been an option for me. But, that may change now. Through the website Black-Friday.Net I can view many Black Friday ads now and not have to wait till Thanksgiving Day and I can shop those same sales from the comfort of my own home. I can save the same amount of money as those crazy people in the lines and I'll be cozy at home eating my turkey sandwich. I am already checking out the toys for Caleb on the Toys 'R' Us page and a new camera from Circuit City for Chris and me.

Give your feet some love this year and stay home for your Black Friday Shopping. Oh, and don't forget to sign up for their email alerts! That way they can tell you whenever they post a new ad. How easy is that?!

All This Girl Wants is a Cabin in the Woods

It is almost October and Fall is definitely in the air. It is still quite warm here and I find myself wondering if the cool air will ever arrive. Thankfully, it always does and I just can't wait. One thing that always hits me in the fall is the desire to get up and go. I want to see the fall colors and enjoy a good hike in the crisp air. Such a welcome retreat when the heat has been unbearable for months.

In November, Chris, Caleb, and I are going camping with our ever growing circle of friends (We keep having kids!). We'll actually be in tents and sleeping on the ground. Yep, roughing it! This will be Caleb's first overnight camping trip and I know it will be an interesting experience.

One thing that I am really looking forward to sometime in the future is being able to get a nice cabin in the mountains with Chris and Caleb (and whoever has since arrived) and enjoy a FAMILY vacation. I just know it will be lovely bliss. I found this website for vacation rentals where you can plan a family vacation by dealing with the actual owners of cabins, etc. and I thought that was pretty cool. It seems so much more personal. You can search for available rentals in any of the 50 states, including Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. When you find the rental spot you want to try you can email the owner and go from there. Cool, huh?

Check Them Out and Happy Vacationing!!



This post sponsored by vlbo.com

I (Heart) my Camera

Our family digital camera, a Sony Cybershot, is quite sentimental to us and carries quite a history. It was when I requested a digital camera for Christmas from my Dad that Chris and I told him that we were pregnant with Caleb. Here's how it went:

Me: "Hey Dad! I think a digital camera would be a great Christmas present for us this year!"
Dad: "Really? Hmmmm...I see."
Me: "Yeah, we are going to need to take tons of pictures in a few months."
Dad: "OK."
Me: "Dad? Are you catching what I'm saying?"
Dad: "Yeah, you are making a strong hint for a camera." (He wasn't quite catching the other hint.)
Me: "True.....because....Chris and I are 99.9% sure we are pregnant!"
Dad: (Wide Eyes and Big Grin)

The rest is history.

Needless to say, we got our wonderful camera for Christmas and we have taken tons of pictures. That camera also went on our family trip to Poland this past summer. We filled up a 256 MB Memory stick and half of a 2 GB memory stick on just that trip.

Sometimes, Chris catches me perusing the pictures of Caleb when we were still in the hospital and he was only a couple of days old. He's growing up so fast. Having those pictures right here on my computer is perfect for us and I confess that we don't have very many printed pictures. I am currently on a mission to backup all those precious digital pictures on CD's, though.

Well, the sad side of this story is that not too long after our trip to Poland my darling little boy pulled on the strap to our Cybershot and pulled it crashing to the ground. (Can you hear the funeral music?) The camera that recorded my son's first moments in this world and our trip to Chris' ancestral land is GONE. (Note: I had JUST downloaded a bunch of pictures onto our computer when the camera breathed its last.) Aaaahhhh! Now, I am borrowing a digital camera from Chris' parents until we can make a trip into town to shop for another camera.

There are so many things that I know I can do with my camera when I finally get a good replacement. One thing I've been dabbling in is digital scrapbooking. I confess I'm not very good at it but it sure is fun. I love looking around the web for great scrapbook page ideas . There is so much talent and inspiration out there. The time for dabbling has been quite limited but I think I'm going try again soon. I'll keep everyone posted and perhaps show some pages here.

Anyway, I LOVE my Camera. I don't know what I would do without it...or my borrowed camera....or my soon to have NEW camera. Can you tell??




This is a sponsored post by Ritz Camera.com

Reliving my Childhood

When I was kid my absolutely favorite show was Road to Avonlea. Being that I LOVED Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables - The Sequel, the books and the movies, it was a natural progression to get totally hooked into Road to Avonlea. It takes place in the same charming town of Avonlea and the characters are just as endearing. Some of the characters from the Anne movies pop up in this show too. I am going through all the seasons of Road to Avonlea right now and I remember them like it was just yesterday and I was laying on the floor in my parent's house totally engrossed in this story. I highly recommend this series. Check it out!!

Road to Avonlea Season 1.

Road to Avonlea Season 2

Road to Avonlea Season 3

Road to Avonlea Season 4

Road to Avonlea Season 5

Road to Avonlea Season 6

One Month and I Still Love It

It has been just over a month since I joined PayPerPost. I am sure my regular readers have noticed a few posts of sponsored content where I've written a little "Sponsored by..." blurb or seen little ads along with the post. PayPerPost has been a dream come true for this amateur blogger. I am still so excited about the possibilities. The idea of being paid to blog just blows my mind. I never knew that it would become true in my lifetime. Now, that it is true, I have gained confidence in my writing and I'm even considering writing in other avenues. Exciting, huh? I've made more money doing PayPerPost than my other ventures working at home. When you calculate how quickly you can write a post and then figure that into an hourly wage, PayPerPost is awesome. It sure does help when you are a Stay-At-Home Mom and you want to support your Hubby as much as possible. Go ahead and check them out for yourself.

I Think I Could Do This Diet!

As a mother of a fourteen month old little boy and one who wants to have another child soon I am always thinking about trying to lose those extra pounds I have hanging on. Yes, I was blessed to have lost all my pregnancy weight pretty quickly and I have the exclusive breastfeeding I did for the first four months to thank for that. But, I had some extra weight on me when I got pregnant and I have a very happy marriage to thank for that. ;-) I guess I got a little too comfortable.

I am feeling crunch time now because I really want to have another sweet baby. I want to lose those extra pounds and keep them off for awhile before I get pregnant. I am trying to tap into the habits I established when I lost over 40 pounds before I got married. One of those habits that I really enjoyed was that I would always give myself a CHEAT day on the weekends. I would eat anything and everything I wanted for one day. You would think that I would gain weight because of those days but it was actually the opposite! I would lose a pound or two each weekend because of those Cheat days. I thought I was onto something and I still tell my friends about that tactic.

Well, guess what?! I really was onto something BIG! The Cheat to Lose Diet follows that very same philosophy. The major difference, though, is that they actually have science to back them up. I just went based on experience (A + B = C). I love this idea because I have a terrible sweet tooth or what my Dad calls a "Fat Tooth." Whatever you want to call it, I've got it. I can't go weeks on end without a little indulgence and the idea of a diet that incorporates that into it is a little taste (ha ha) of heaven for me. You just cheat strategically here.

The Cheat to Lose Diet has a book that details all the lovely findings behind the diet. There is also an online community where you can follow the program with other people. It has been proven that more people lose more weight when they use online diet plans than those who do it alone. The customized-to-you program will provide weekly meal plans so that you'll eat the right foods at the right time. You'll get a library of recipes, a fitness plan, and an online community to show support.

Go check them out and Happy Cheating!!

Every Little Bit Helps

For those who don't know, Chris made his career change into the mortgage industry. He is working as an assistant/partner to an area mortgage lender. He is thrilled to be back in the business and he is jumping in head first. I am so proud of him and all his hard work.

I saw this really neat idea today. Those who have been to closings know how much paper is shuffled through, handed out, and signed. It is tough to keep up with it all and overwhelming. Your brain is swimming by the end of it all. You just bought a house! Yeah!! But, you feel like a deer in the headlights. What can be done about this craziness.

Well, check out electronic closings. There is a company called Encomia that specializes in just that. Basically, instead of all the loan documents being delivered in paper format they are converted into an electronic format and the closing is conducted on a computer. You view the documents on the computer, sign the documents on the computer, and completely close the loan...where? On the computer. Think about how much time that would be saved because no one has to shuffle through papers and wonder if they got all the appropriate copies. Not to mention how much energy that would be saved not producing all that paper. The website for Encomia claims that closing times can be cut down to 15 minutes. Wow!

Being that Chris is re-entering the mortgage industry I am excited to see the developments that are being made to make everything that much easier. Aren't you??




This post sponsored by Encomia.com

Another Great Coupon Site

Just last week I woke up and stepped outside to let Eowyn go potty and you know what I felt...cool air! Aaaahhhh! This summer has been so long and HOT that it has been near impossible to think of anything other than how to keep cool. Well, with that cool air my brain started going crazy thinking about all the upcoming holidays. We have Caleb's first Pumpkin Patch Party at church on Halloween. Chris, Caleb, and I are going on a camping trip with our friends near Thanksgiving and I just CAN'T WAIT till Christmas. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!

Even though the holidays are extremely fun they can also be expensive to prepare for. The decorations, costumes, and presents can add up quite quickly. That is when coupons come into play. For someone like me who does most of her shopping online a site like couponchief.com is a God-send. You can find all kinds of free coupons, online coupons, and coupon codes to go with all kinds of purchases. My favorites were for Target, The Children's Place, and Petsmart. I can get things for all the members of my family...from my Dad to Caleb to all the dogs in the family. Those are just a few of the tons of other merchants that have coupons listed for your taking.

Go on over to couponchief.com and Happy Shopping!

Don't These Look Like Fun!

Chris, Caleb, and I live within a reasonable distance from the beach and I look forward to the times we get to go. I confess that I wouldn't consider myself a "beach person" but I do enjoy walking in the sand and running through the bubbles. I've been thinking about the beach a lot more these days because of Caleb. He's never had the joy of the bubbles or building sand castles. Chris and I are planning to take him once the sun isn't quite so oppressive and we can spend more time outside. (We are a pretty fair skinned family).

Whenever we do go to the beach I always see people riding along on their cruiser bikes. They look like so much fun and so easy to ride on the beach sand. The seats especially look comfortable for the tushy. I do remember riding a cruiser bike one day with my Dad when we were on vacation on Kiawah Island. I haven't done it since, though. It was so much fun...until the tide caught us and we were pushing our bikes through the bubbles. ;-)

I enjoyed looking at this website dedicated to beach cruiser bikes. You can look at Classic Beach Cruisers Women's cruisers, Men's cruisers, and even Chopper cruisers for the cooler folks among us. There are so many fun bikes to look at and even accessories to go with them. I can hear the crashing waves already.

Check them out and Happy Beach Cruising!!

Fall is in the Air

Labor Day has come and gone. School is going full force and every so often I feel a hint (just a hint, mind you) of coolish air. Fall is coming and I couldn't be more excited about it. As we consider pulling out our Fall decorations it now a perfect time to stock up on summer decorations for next summer. Just like everyone enjoys hitting the stores for lovely Christmas decorations for the next year, you can do the exact same thing for summer goodies. For those with a veggie or flower garden you may consider installing some Garden Lighting to make it look that much more beautiful in the evening. You may even put up your own scarecrow or stepping stones. The possibilities are endless. I have dreams of having my own garden and I can't wait to get started once Caleb is big enough to help me. Until then I'll have fun looking into all the neat things I can do to make our garden a real joy.



This is a sponsored post.

Missionary Travel

A couple days ago I was talking about about how I get an "itch" to get out of town. I need to go somewhere to clear the system and refocus. My opportunity is coming very soon and boy, I am happy about that. But, the kicker about this type of need to get out of town is all about me and my needs or the needs of my family.

What about traveling with the needs of other people as my complete focus? I am talking about going on a mission trip for a short time or even an extended time. I know that I am called to go on some sort of mission trip...to step outside myself and go spread God's love to others. The idea is so exciting!! Unfortunately, I wouldn't even know where to start when planning my trip. How do you travel to third world countries? What all needs to be done before you leave home? And what about once you get there?

I was so happy to find Golden Rule Travel. They are a travel agency that specializes in missionary travel. It sure feels good knowing that I would be traveling through people who support what I am doing for the Lord and they actually want to support my work. They have a staff of former missionaries and other Believers who support missionaries. Individuals or groups can take advantage of their services. For example, they will work hard to find the lowest possible airfare because they know that missionaries don't have much money. They are also always available (24/7) for your questions.

Going on a mission trip is such a special and intense time. There is so much going on emotionally and spiritually and the last thing you should worry about is your travel specifics. I am thankful that people like Golden Rule Travel are willing to step up and help missionaries and their special needs.

Learning About Stocks

As a Stay-At-Home Mom I am so blessed to have an incredibly hard working husband who allows me to stay home and even supports my convictions. Not only do I work hard maintaining our household and taking care of our little boy, I also work hard to generate an income from home. I mainly accomplish this through my blog and through eBay.

While Chris works hard outside the home to support all of us he has a dream to be able to come home too and either work from home or even retire. The way that he is pursuing this dream is through his studies of the stock market and options trading. He spends a little time each night "paper trading" or pretend trading so that he will be ready when he makes the jump for real.

I want to support Chris as much as I can in his ventures and I know that one way I can do this is through educating myself about the stock market so that I can support him in his trading decisions. I know it would make his heart go pitter-pat if I could have a stock market conversation with him. One way I can educate myself is through the blog by Wizetrade . The company that puts out the Wizetrade software has just started an informative blog to educate us and to keep us abreast on all stock trading news. They also provide videos. I especially like the post about making a Trading Plan. I know how we have to protect ourselves from our emotions when dealing with the market. I feel good about this blog because of posts like that and I am sure there are some more great posts to come.

Check them out if you want to learn more about the stock market like I do. Come on SAHM's! Let's jump on the bandwagon!



This post sponsored by WizetradeBlog.com

I Dream of Our Family Vacations...

I have discovered a pattern in my life lately. I have noticed that about every six to eight weeks or so I get this itch that I call the “get out of town itch.” I just can't stay in one place for more than two months. Once I go away for a weekend, usually the case, I feel so much better and ready to tackle my To-Do list at home because I have had the opportunity to relax and refocus. As a matter of fact we are going out of town for a little refresher in a couple of weekends. I am quite ready for that little trip.

Now that Chris and I have a son we are starting to understand the importance of taking a family vacation at least once a year. We'll have long weekends sometimes, but I mean a true family vacation that is at least a week long and at a fun destination. Chris has already promised that starting in Summer '08 we'll start making those family vacations a priority.

With that in mind I have been pondering what we should do and where we should go. I LOVE the mountains and I know that Chris does too. We even went to the mountains on our honeymoon.

I have found a great company with a convenient website that I think will be great in our planning of our family vacation in the mountains. It is Hotel Reservations. I found this website to be really easy to use and very informative. For example, I can put in that I am looking for a vacation rental site near Asheville and I want to go June 7-11, 2008 and the site will give me a list of locations for me to pick from and they are listed based on distance from Asheville and price. That is just what I want to know. You can also book hotels, cars, flights, and whole vacation packages all over the world. The convenience of this site is wonderful but so is the fact that you can save up to 70% in your reservation. Being that we are on such a tight budget I am grateful for any savings we are offered.

I don't really know when our inaugural family vacation is going to be but I am already really looking forward to it. Our little family needs some time away to relax and just have fun together. Until that time comes I'll be pondering what I want to do and researching the best deals.

Did You Know...

...I was once a computer game geek?

While I was in college one of my major stress relievers was to play computer games. I have never considered myself to be a “gamer” but I do know how much good an hour of computer play can do for an overworked brain. One of the games I used to play a lot with Chris and his roommates was Starcraft: Brood War. I always played the Terrans or the Marines and Chris always played the Protoss. It was tons of fun and it was cheap. We had many-a-date playing over the network in his apartment. I am excited to hear that there is a new Starcraft coming out very soon. Boy, that brings back memories!! I was looking at their website, CreepColony, and it looks just as fun if not more. Now, that I am a Mommy I really don't have much time to play computer games like I would like but I am still happy to hear about starcraft 2. I am sure it will fabulous!

This post is sponsored by CreepColony.com

I Found This Great Program

A couple months ago I was visiting A Gracious Home and I read about PayPerPost. What is this? You can be paid to write blog posts? It is a form of blog advertising where bloggers write reviews and get paid for them. This could very well be a dream come true. I started this blog not too long after Caleb was born to document our first year “and beyond.” I was dedicated for awhile and then my writing fell by the wayside. I came back with a vengeance right before we went on our trip to Poland. I've always thought what a dream it would be to be able to help provide, even if in a small way, for the family through my blog. Well, friends and family, I have found a way to make that dream come true. Enter PayPerPost!

From now on you will occasionally see posts about various websites or services that I have found. Yes, they are paid but I promise to not write about anything I don't like. If there is something I don't like I will tell you straight up. I will be honest from the start. I would never lead my readers astray.

That being said, I am extremely excited about this opportunity. I'm not sure what I'll do with the money I earn. Perhaps it will go towards paying off the house or right into our date money bag or even into my grocery money. I am just so happy about this opportunity that I haven't fully thought it through. Thank you PayPerPost!

If you are a Stay-At-Home Mom with a blog like me be sure to check out PayPerPost.