In Gloria's Place I can be a mom, a woman, a daughter, a wife, a writer, a customer, an observer and a person all at the same time, without judgement or remorse.
If you love reading and are interested in taking a few greener steps in your life I am holding a book giveaway this month for The Green Year, hosted by Jodi Helmer. If you haven't read the review yet, click here.
For a chance to win a copy of The Green Year all you have to do is leave a comment below explaining why it is important for you to live a more sustainable life. The best response will be selected at the end of the month and the winner will receive an autographed (signed) copy of the book. When you leave a response please leave a name and email to be contacted.
If you live in or near Houston, enjoy the circus and want an inexpensive outing with your family MomCentral and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® have come together to bring you inexpensive tickets to the show in Houston (at the Reliant Stadium) this month. For more information and for a discount/coupon code read the information below:
Ringling Bros. Coupon Code Details
The coupon code is MOM— four tickets for $44, any additional tickets are still priced at $11.
The tickets can be purchased from http://www.ticketmaster.com and by entering the MOM code in the “MC promotion” box when purchasing tickets.
Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.
Offer not valid on Circus Celebrity, Front Row, or VIP seating.
Cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges, facility & handling fees will apply.
Animal Open House and All Access Preshow
Be sure to get to the arena early to check out the Animal Open House and the All Access Preshow. At the Animal Open House, which begins at 6:00pm, you can see the furry stars up close before their big performances. The Preshow begins at 6:30pm and will give you a chance to head down to the circus floor to meet the performers, get autographs, try on costumes, and clown around! These two extras are free for all ticket holders.
Facebook
If you are a Facebook member check out the MomCentral fan-page for the Ringling Brother’s Circus in Houston http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-BaileyR-for-Houston-Area-Families/59378703667
Also check out “Reading with Ringling Bros.!” for free tickets for your children just for reading 20 books or 20 hours. I love this idea and wish their were more reading projects like this.
If you have a chance to visit the show this year share your experience below.
This year Look Good.... Feel Good is celebrating their 20th anniversary. To celebrate they are holding a “Women of Hope is Beautiful” contest. Five women will win a trip to the DreamBall in New York on September 24, 2009. They will also be featured in a magazine and receive a professional makeover. If you know someone with cancer encourage her to submit her story. If you have cancer enter the story and enter to win a well deserved break. Take a look at the contest information provided by Momcentral below.
The Look Good…Feel Better program is "a free, national public service program that helps women cope with the appearance-related changes of cancer treatment through workshops across the country, self-help materials, and other free information. Look Good…Feel Better is a collaboration of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, the American Cancer Society, Inc. and the National Cosmetology Association.
Unfortunately, with about one in three American women expected to receive a cancer diagnosis in her lifetime, cancer will likely touch all of our lives in some way, whether through a family member, a friend, or even ourselves. Along with the confusion and fear of a cancer diagnosis comes a number of adjustments, not the least of which, for many women, involves hair loss and other appearance-related changes that result from cancer treatment.
In honor of its 20th anniversary, Look Good…Feel Better is asking women cancer survivors to submit their stories of how the program helped them cope with cancer as a way to inspire others who may currently be undergoing cancer treatment. Entries will be featured on the Women of Hope is Beautiful blog to help educate others. Anyone can visit the site to view entries, make comments and show their support. In August, Look Good…Feel Better will choose five women with the most-compelling stories to receive a trip to New York City for a makeover and a trip to the DreamBall, a black-tie gala and the program 's largest annual fundraiser, held each year in New York City."
Find out more information about the Look Good Feel Better website here: http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/
and the "Women of Hope is Beautiful" contest here: http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org/20thanniversary/campaign.htm. Also feel free to read the submitted stories, but prepared to cry a little. These are amazing women with hardships no one should have to go through, but they do and they live to tell about it.
* This tour is dedicated to my aunt and my daughter's school counselor, two women I admire for their strength and courage to fight breast cancer and all the hardships that came with cancer treatment.
Win a $250 GC from the House of Gems: Bejeweled Giveaway
Spreading the word on behalf of Momfluence, here is another fun giveaway. Hurry, time is almost up! This giveaway is from the House of Gems and has to do with jewelery crafting and a $250 gift certificate. If you love crafting jewelery and the idea of winning a $250 gift certificate or other cool prizes take a look at the giveaway information below.
Contest Details: Have you ever wanted to start your own handmade jewelry store on Etsy or Silkfair, but didn't know where to start? Maybe you already enjoy scrapbooking and knitting and thought beading might be worth a try, but weren't sure about the investment.
Now you can win a bracelet making kit plus $75 in product - a $100 value - by entering the "Bejeweled Giveaway" contest. Ten readers across the Momfluence network blogs will be chosen to win! But there's more! Those ten winners will be able to submit a picture of their completed bracelet to the House of Gems, and one will be chosen to receive a $250 gift certificate, enough product to really jump start your business.
To Enter: Readers must choose one or more ways to enter.
Option 1 - Subscribe to one or more of the House of Gems feeds found here - each feed subscription counts as a new entry!
Once you've subscribed fill out this entry form here.
Option 2 - Blog about the "Bejeweled Giveaway" contest on your own site then fill out this entry form
Join us on Twitter Saturday, June 27th at 9:00 p.m. eastern for a #houseofgems SiteWarming party where the 10 winners will be announced!
About the House of Gems: House of Gems, Inc. was established to provide quality quality beads, pearls, findings, pendants, chains and other jewelry making accessories at wholesale prices, directly to the consumer.The people behind Houseofgems.com have been in this business since 1992 and have an extensive network of designers, manufacturers and other direct suppliers to draw upon.
Since they have their own factories,craft shops and import directly, they have the best prices on quality products. Now, with the power of e-commerce they have eliminated the 'middle men', bringing their quality products at low wholesale jewelry prices, directly to your doorstep.
Someone can also win and iPhone 3GS. Read below to find out how.
iPhone Contest Details:
Anyone on Twitter who tweets with the hashtag #HouseofGems between Noon eastern Monday, June 22nd and noon eastern Saturday, June 27th will be entered to win an iPhone 3GS! U.S. residents 18 years and older are eligible. The winner will be announced during the #houseofgems SiteWarming party Saturday, June 27th at 9 p.m. eastern.
Important Links :
Just in case the links below didn't work here they are again. Just copy and paste them to find the right place.
I kept my word and painted my room a few weeks ago, some of it at least. There is one coat of primer on half of the room. Later that night (of the day I painted the room) I hurt my lower back reaching for something on the sofa. I could barely move my lower back or hips. It's amazing how an injury like this can make a person feel like they've aged 20 years. Was it a pinched nerve? I have no idea. I also have no idea if the back/hip issue it's correlated to painting the room or the hip pain/discomfort I've had since having the baby.
Either way my husband helped me to bed and up and down the stairs the first two days until I felt better. I'm much better now thanks to my husband, but I've taken it easy and have used the gym to strengthen my back. I'm taking my vitamins again too. I forget how much nursing a baby can take out of my body. The vitamins have helped a lot. My energy is back and my hip pain has disappeared. I will probably resume my double dare paint project this week.
On another note swimming season is over. It has been a long hot two months. My eldest daughter made it to divisionals. The divisionals were this Saturday and the place was packed and hot. She did well and both girls seem interested in doing it again next year. A part of me is so proud and the other part of me wishes they would take an interest in something indoors or at least partial shade.
Father's day weekend was busy and enjoyable. On Saturday after the divisionals we visited my father-in-law. He's an interesting man. Years and life have made him a better person. Ironically, in the late evening we visited another pool, the pool at his townhome. This time my husband, our baby and I were able to join the girls instead of just watching from the sideline and cheering. It was a fun family affair.
Father's day continued at our home the next morning. The girl's and I made my husband breakfast (cinnamon blueberry waffles with banana slices, almond slices, and craisins on the side) and served it on a tray. He ate at the sofa, tray of food in his lap, and we sat at the living room table with our breakfast. After breakfast he opened up his gifts. I think he liked his gardening tools. I know he needed them and complained when he didn't have them to use. Now he does.
A few hours later we visited my dad. The visit there was enjoyable, for the most part...despite some sibling rivalry with my eldest sister and up until I was reminded of my possible career change. Two of my siblings have made it clear they don't think it's a great idea. I'm told to think of my children and how it will impact them. Then later on I hear one of them and her husband encourage my husband to follow this very field I'm interested in. My heart broke. Does my husband not have children to think about or is he exempt from this worry because he is male.
On the way home I wondered if the unexpected rain and the rainbow in the sky were a sign. I know. The world doesn't revolve around me, but we haven't had rain for weeks and the temperatures have been soaring in the 90's. Yesterday's rain was a relief and the rainbow in the sky was uplifting. It has been more than a year since I have seen a rainbow, especially one so clear and large as this one. Sign or not I enjoyed the rain and colors while they lasted. Some times that is all we can really do.
Whenever I begin reading a book my hope is that by the end of the book it has inspired me, moved me or taught me new things. The Green Year (printed on recycled paper) written by Jodi Helmer, fits in the 3rd category. Jodi Helmer's 365 tips are extremely informative, inexpensive and beginner simple, but not at all overwhelming. In addition her tips cover a wide range of environmental topics: conserving energy, buying food locally, finding BPA free baby products, celebrating planet-friendly holidays and so on.
I'm proud to say I already follow many of tips offered in this book. I plan on incorporating many of the rest of the tips into my lifestyle as much as I can. For example, I plan on buying an insulation blanket for my water heater. I was amazed to find out how much energy I would conserve with this inexpensive blanket.
The format of The Green Year is also simple. The first tip begins January 1 and the last tip ends on December 31, so the tips coincide with the day of the year as well as the season. There is one tip per day (and per page) and most of the tips are compact with information, but make up two-thirds of the page or less.
Today's tips suggest that you borrow things you need instead of buying them to save money and "conserve resources". I think this is a great idea. My neighbor and I share a lawnmower and repair tools all the time. It does save a lot of money. I would just like to add be careful who you share with and, "PLEASE RETURN WHAT YOU BORROW!" Don't ruin your relationship with a neighbor or family member by forgetting to return what you borrow and make sure you return what you borrow in the condition you got it in or better. It really bites when you let someone borrow something and they return it damaged if they return it at all.
If Jodi Helmer ever produces a second edition or revision of this book I would like to suggest 2 changes. First I would like to see her add a comprehensive list of all the green websites she mentions in her book. Second I would like a cross-reference index of categories and topics placed at the end of the book to make it easier to find certain tips. For example, if I wanted to go back to the book a month from now and look up all her tips on ways to conserve energy I would go to the index page and look up every tip related to conserving energy instead of trying to guess where I read it last in the book.
For more information on The Green Year or Jodi Helmer visit www.jodihelmer.com.
List of Good Gift Guides For Dads: Happy Father's Day
Father's Day is right around the corner and some Dad's are so hard to shop for, but don't panic. I've collected a list of gift guides online and have posted them below. Take a look at each one. If you still can't find anything make your dad a pie, bake him cookies or just give him a big hug and remind him that you love him and appreciate everything he has ever done for you.
Gift Guide from Mom Central
This includes everything from camping equipment to a digital camera to imported beer steins.
Each day, Mom Central will post giveaways for Dads. Upcoming giveaways include barbeque accessories, a Jeep tent built for 7 people (pictured in the photo at right), CDs, DVDs, books, razors, and so much more. Check here for a link to the daily giveaways: http://www.momcentral.com/reviews/fathers-day-giveaways.html
She hung on for dear life, as did her friend in the next lane (same rope), as did the girl swimming two lanes down. The judges looked at each other, but I didn't look at them long enough to see them mouth, "disqualified". My husband did. I was just proud my baby girl-not a baby anymore- made it all the way across the pool.
She decided she would race and she decided with confidence. During the last meet she kept changing her mind. She wanted to because her friends and her sisters were racing, but her first meet left her scared. Finally she decided she didn't want to and I wasn't about to push her.
This week she decided on Friday that she would race. I asked her if she was sure and she was. The day of the meet she was still sure. When her turn came up she was still sure. When the bell rang she jumped in sure and she began to swim towards the rope. Was this her plan all along? I smiled. That was fine with me. What ever helped her progress was good in my eyes.
This time she didn't freeze. She kept going. She continued holding onto the rope, kicked her legs, smiled, smiled at her friend holding on to the rope right behind her and then turned her head back around to the front still smiling and kicking all the way to the end of the lane. I wanted to jump for joy and I started to until she stepped out of the pool. I saw what appeared to be a rash on her chest and exposed nipple. Was she allergic to chlorine? The fear struck me for a few seconds until I put two and two together and I realized it was a rope burn. She held on so tight to the rope it burned her skin and pushed down her swimsuit exposing part of her chest. Once she began to feel the burn she stopped smiling. What a day to leave the Neosporin in the wrong bag. There weren't any aloe plants around to cut and use either. I also couldn't go get any medicine because we were far from home and my other daughter had 3 races to go. Instead we walked to the tent and I took her swimsuit off then put on her dry clean team shirt to keep the sun from burning her burn anymore. She was content. After a few minutes we grabbed the food bag and chowed down. It was still morning but we were lunch hungry.
After lunch my oldest swam her 3 races. Again her backstroke was her best. She only gets better and better each week. In the beginning I dreaded waking up early in the morning to spend half a day, some times an entire day in the heat, but now when I see their smiles it makes it all okay. Besides each week we get better at packing. This past weekend we found a chair and the week before we found an old tent. My kids and husband at first wished they had the canopies a lot of the other families there had, but I kept telling them to be grateful for what we have.
Besides eventually I know we will accumulate enough comforts through time, freecycle and so on. We just started this year. There is no need to spend money on fancy new stuff. For now we just need to move with the shade and find good spots like the one we found this past week under the tree.
At about 11pm when the shade moved we parked our tent and our food and our cooler and my chair and the stroller under the tree. We played with the baby, watched the girls race and we read while they colored. It was actually quite a wonderful but exhausting day. I only hope the next meet is just as joyful and blessed with trees and shade.
Obama: The Historic Journey: Young Reader's Edition: Book Review
Recently a free copy of the book, Obama: The Historic Journey: Young Reader's Edition from the New York Times was mailed to me. This is a 96-page history/biography/keepsake hardcover book written especially for young readers of middle school age.
The book is written in a clear and concise manner and can be, for the most part, easily read by young readers. The book celebrates Presidents Obama's amazing journey to presidency, including the triumphs and difficulties. The excellent photographs of President Obama and his family, the Obama family tree, the memorable quotes and the United States tally map are all excellent and informative features the book has to offer. Both young readers and their parents can visually enjoy the book as they read and learn about President Obama' life to the presidency. The educational sidebars are another nice feature in the book. These sidebars provide readers with explanations of government law and definitions of political terms such as: what are a caucus and a delegate?
While reading the book I really enjoyed learning about President Obama's family: who raised him, where he was born, what he did as a child and so on. I loved reading about President Obama’s family values, what he is like as a father, who made an impact on his life and what impacts he made along the way before even becoming the president of the United States. I also enjoyed reading the book to my oldest daughter. She is still too young to read the book all by herself, but I imagine by next year she will not just be looking at the pictures and listening to me read, she will be reading the book on her own. Both of my daughter's absolutely loved seeing President Obama’s baby picture and pictures of President Obama’s daughters. Pictures like these definitely draw young readers into a book. They draw adults in too.
I would have liked to have seen a longer chapter of Dear Sir Obama: Presidential Advice. I thought this was adorable and deserved more attention. I was excited to learn this is a collection of letters and drawings from a book called, Thanks And Have Fun Running The Country: Kids' Letters To President Obama. I’m hoping the library has the book on hand so I can check it out.
Thank you to Momcentral and The New York Times for giving me the opportunity to participate in this book blog tour! I really enjoyed it.
