Raising CEO Kids ~ Who would not want to raise CEO Kids…You can also find them on twitter @raisingceokids

Little Fin ~ Our newest find for a little hand (or fin).  This mom is rocking as she blogs about her adventures with her sweet child that God made that way!

Foo Pets ~ Besides being fun, the entire FooPets experience is designed to be educational and help your child learn about responsible pet care. A FooPet makes the perfect “warm up pet” or “substitute pet” to make sure your child is ready for the real thing. A FooPet is a “real” virtual pet and will teach your child real world skills.

Webkinz ~ Ok I will tell the truth.. We both play on this site. You can also find them on twitter @webkinz

Parents Connect ~ This is an amazing site that has just about everything a parent would want or need.  There are games, giveaways, advice, articles and much more all for parents by parents. You can also find them on twitter @parentsconnect

I am a bit backward than most people.  A lot of people I know tackle the big things and then work their way down to the smaller things.  But not me and not today.  I have set aside my complete afternoon to tackle something very near and dear to my heart.  This site.

I have been revamping this site for some time now and just when I think I am getting close to being done then something comes up and I just leave the site.  So I literally blocked out all this afternoon to finish up the site and I am not going to let anything get in the way of it.

Here are my list of things I will be tackling today:

1. Finish Footer
2. Move subscribe newsletter box
3. contact people about guest blogging
4. add more people to blogroll
5. comment on 10 sites
6. Get new social media icons
7. connect my blog to facebook
8. connect my tweets to facebook
9. connect twitter to my blog
10. And I am sure there is more I will find as I continue working.

What are you going to be tackling today?  Does not matter large or small I would love to hear what you are tackling!

I came down to the office to get some more things done and could hear the home phone ringing off the hook.  Normally I don’t answer it.. (yah yah)  But I text my SIL and asked if it was her calling.  She said it is a Sad little Haylee.

SO Haylee called me and was crying.  I MISS YOU MOM.  Oh it was so hard not to cry myself.  I miss the girl like crazy.  We spend so much time together.  Since Dad works second it is just Haylee and I at night so we pretty much do everything together.  And now she is on the other end of the phone telling me how much she loves me and misses me and wants to come home… OH JUST STOP.. I wanted to jump in the car and drive down to get her.

But I help my cool and did not cry.  I could hear in her voice just how tired she was.  So I told her if she still felt that way on Friday, Mom and Dad would come and get her Saturday.  But I can almost promise you that things will change and she will not be ready to come home.

It just tears at my heart strings to hear my  baby cry and not be there to hold her in my arms and make the tears go away.

Katie Bennett and the Precious Girls Club want to make some sad sick kids at the Shine Community Hospital happy. And the only way they can think to do that is by putting on a puppet show but something is stopping them. Mr. Boxer! Mr Boxer is the president of the hospital and he refuses to say yes.

Katie and her friends learn some important lessons along the way not only from another club member but also from Katie’s gaurdian angel Faith.This is a book you and your little ones will not want to put down until you find out just how the girls do on Operation Kindness.

So one luck winner will win the book Operation kindness and will also win a mini plush paws dog and even better you are going to get access to the companion website. www.preciousgirlsclub.com.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on who you would give the book and the plush dog to.

To receive extra entries:

• follow me on twitter and leave a comment
• Tweet about this giveaway

Plus everyone that enters will also receive a special web access code so that your precious little one can go and join the Precious Girls Club once the giveaway is all done. (I have to say my 7 year old loves the Precious Girls Club Website and there are so many great lessons that involve God!)

Giveaway Ends September 9th at 12 PM CST.

So just because we have one hand, two hands or no hands does not mean we can all tie shoes the same.  Nan did an amazing blog post with a video that I want to share with you.

Sometimes things can be so difficult for little Bug.  We’ve tried for months to teach little Bug how to lace a shoe with a cardboard cutout, lacing cards even tennis shoes but with no luck.  This summer Bug took OT and his instructor loaned us a teaching tool that made all the difference in the world. He learned to lace his shoe in 3 days. Yes, can you believe it, 3 days! I was blown away and he was so proud of himself.  We are still working on the bow tying but we got half of it down so we are both so proud.  Just look at him go.

That is just a snippet.  If you want to read the whole thing and watch Bug tie his shoes and My BFF help her son then head on over to A Mom Blog and check it out.  She even gives the link to that amazing shoe that helped Bug learn to tie his shoes.  OH and….

WAY TO GO BUG!  WE ARE SUPER PROUD OF YOU.

How is it that a 7 year old can totally handle the cards she was dealt by God but as an adult there are days that I feel like I can not even handle the project I was handed much less anything else? Children and adults handle things different. But you also have to realize that our children handle things they way they do because of how we raise and teach them. To teach them that God will give us what He knows we can handle. And no matter how bad it may seem God will never give us more then we can handle. God gives us certain things because that is part of his big plan for us.

How do you and your kids handle the cards that God has dealt you?

photo credit: Sugar Pond

Moms sometimes feel as if they are being overwhelmed by everything they have to do in a given day. The housework piles up and you feel like you have a zillion things to do and not enough hours in the day. Then you may still have work to think about and homework to do, not to mention any appointments scheduled for that day. What can moms do to help ease these feelings?

They can put the kids to work. What? Yes, you read that correctly. Even children as young as a year old can be taught some responsibility by helping around the house. The amount of responsibility you wish to teach each child will differ depending on their age and ability levels. Young toddlers can be taught to clean up their toys. Even if they do not pick up everything on the first try, it will still lessen the number of times you need to bend over to pick up and put away their things. As the little ones practice doing this, they will get better at it over time, and will eventually be able to put away all of their toys at the end of each day.

My children are a little older than that – 6, 8, and 10 – so they are able to help a little more. However, when I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis almost 3 years ago (and found myself unable to physically keep up with everything that needed to be done), they were not helping around the house as well as they are now. It took time for them to learn to help the way they do, but they did it. By teaching them to help out, they are learning to be more responsible for their belongings, for the things in their home, and for themselves (and often will clean something up without being asked). By having some good helpers, I am better able to keep up with the housework and my stress levels are lower.

So, where do you begin? No matter your child’s age, start with their bedrooms. Have them first practice picking up their toys at the end of every day before they go to bed. You may even want to set up a reward system for doing this. My children each earn 25 cents per day that they remember to do this. However, some children could earn television time or computer time or maybe even have the opportunity to choose the board game for family game night. Whatever the reward, use it to help motivate your children. After they have gotten pretty good at picking up their toys each day, add something else for them to be responsible of. Putting away their clean clothing is a very good next step. For younger children, I suggest labeling each of their dresser drawers with a picture of the type of items that go in that drawer. Then, when the pile of clean clothes is delivered, they can put it away instead of you. Think of another reward for this job so your children will be further encouraged to continue helping.  (Additional jobs your children might be able to help with are listed at the end of this article.)

Once they can complete these two jobs, then they may be ready to help in other areas of the home. Just remember to have a reward for each job. If you use behavior bucks in your home, they can earn those. If your children earn allowance, you can pay them for each job they complete, rather than having a set fee they get each week. No matter what reward you choose, it will help your children to want to keep helping you out! The more they help you out, the more responsible they will become for their belongings, their home, and themselves.

To help you think of some areas that your children may be able to help with, here are some of the jobs that my children have learned to complete:

·         carry in the groceries

·         help put away the groceries

·         set the table

·         feed the dogs

·         get water for the guinea pig

·         help prepare dinner

·         dust one room

·         get the mail

·         help make coffee

·         vacuum

·         wipe down a bathroom sink

·         take out the trash

·         make your own breakfast or lunch (not with the stove, though)

·         clean windows in one room

·         water plants

·         wipe the kitchen table

·         organize a bookshelf, video cabinet, or television cabinet

·         complete 1 load of laundry (wash, dry, fold, and deliver)

·         take dogs outside and watch them

About the author:    Alicia H. Tucker is a homeschool mom of three, after having taught in public schools for over ten years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Technology. She is a freelance writer and is currently working on writing her first book.

photo credit: samglover

If your typical day is anything like mine, then you probably do not have much time to yourself either. Additionally, any time you do have is probably not very quiet. I know mine is not. However, when I do get those few quiet times, I try to make the most of them. It is very important for us as moms to have some time to relax and recharge. So, if your typical day does not provide you with time to do this, you must make the time.

I am fortunate this week to have some extra quiet time this week as two of my three children are on a trip with their grandparents. But for those that are not able to have quiet time in that way, they must make a little time for themselves in one of two ways. You can either stay up after the children go to bed or you can get up before the children do in the morning.

Most days, I opt to stay up late. The only problem with that is if the children stay up too late, then I get to bed really late and then I am tired in the morning. However, if your children go to bed earlier, then this might work for you. My goal is to get up early and have my quiet time then. My house is much quieter in the morning than in the evening.

No matter when you opt to have some quiet time, make sure that you take this time for YOU. Don’t try to get ahead on work or housework, do things that you like to do for enjoyment. Take a long bath… read a book… work on arts and crafts… give yourself a manicure or pedicure… anything that you like to do for fun or relaxation. Even if you only have a half an hour to yourself, make the most of it. You will find that you feel more relaxed and that the stresses of life can bounce off of you more easily, rather than bogging you down.
About the author:    Alicia H. Tucker is a homeschool mom of three, after having taught in public schools for over ten years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Technology. She is a freelance writer and is currently working on writing her first book.

They might also choose to start their own businesses, instead of working for another company. Working from home is rising popularity and the Internet is offering many different types of careers and business opportunities to moms. And for proof that the work at home dream is possible, be sure to check out the success tips from moms just like you in the Full Time WAHM eBook.

So how can you start a work at home career? This is a frequently asked question that can lead to a lot of confusion about on where to start. Here are just some of the work from home careers currently available to moms:

· Party Consultant (beauty, health, jewelry, home decor, adult, etc.) We all know about companies like Avon and Tupperware, but there are so many more opportunities for moms and they are still a popular way to earn an income. From home and garden products, to jewelry and makeup and even adult novelties, home party plans are great ways for moms to work from home. Earnings vary by company and commission schedule.

· Virtual Office Service. Are you a people person who likes to do customer service and to provide other office services? Then a client service job might be perfect for you. Many large firms are hiring Mom’s to work from home answering customer calls and providing other office support virtually. These jobs can pay between $8-12+ an hour. You can also start you own business providing customer service directly to clients and increase the amount you charge per hour.

· Selling on Auction Sites or Craft Boards. Many Moms sell their unwanted items on auction sites like eBay.com or sell their crafts on boards like Etsy.com for a source of income. If you are a creative person who enjoys making beautiful things or you want to earn a little extra money for the clothes your kids outgrow, why not sell them!

· Starting on Online Business. The Internet offers the chance for you to create just about any type of business they desire. Whether it’s creating an information-packed website that helps others (and earns money through advertising and selling products for commissions), creating your own products or selling products at wholesale, the choice is yours.

There are any number of opportunities just waiting to be tried by enterprising Moms looking for fulfillment and extra money.

Recommended Additional Resource:

Working from home doesn’t come without it’s challenges. Learn from 21 moms just like you have been there, done that. Full Time WAHM provides practical mom-to-mom advice on who to balance work & home and how to turn into a work at home success.