Thursday, October 30, 2008

Free $25.00 Shopping For You At Bidz

Hi all I got this code from a freebie site that I visit, and wanted to pass it along to you. I love this site, especially at Christmas and Birthdays. You can get jerwerly at 1/3 the price or even less sometimes. It is all good quality, I order for my children and family. Hope this helps save you some money during the Christmas shopping season. Here is my friend and mentor Anjie's link for Bidz.
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=EqcdkoI2zWE&offerid=90206.10000006&type=3&subid=0

And here is the code to use for your $25.00 shopping money, just put the code in at checkout.
Use code SCARY25
Valid 10/30 - 11/2
Talk To My Heart, Let me know what yyou bought with your free $25.00, and who it was for. I just love what I call "Found Money".

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Free Cell Phones and Service for Low Income Families


Thanks so much to our friend Marie over at http://freelancingrammie.blogspot.com/ she found this wonderful program to help low income families.

SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program
that provides a free cell phone and airtime each
month for income-eligible customers.



I sincerely hope that some of you can use this program and that it will be a blessing for someone. Things are so hard these days, even for two income families, and I know that some can't even afford home phone service, so this is a great program.
Talk To My Heart, let me know if you or someone you know cold benefit from this program, or if you know of similar things being offered, and I will publish your thoughts and suggestions here.

Remember Halloween is Friday, look out for the ghosties and goblins!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

New Use For Vicks Vapor Rub

I said in the title this is a new use for Vicks, maybe I should rephrase that. It is an old use, but done in a different way.

I have used Vicks every since I was a child. It was the cure all for stuffy noses and hacking coughs for my parents. My parents couldn't take us to the doctor every time we had a cold, as a matter of fact we had to be about dead before we went. If we got a cold out came the Vicks, it was rubbed on our chests, and on the upper part of our lip, right under our nostrils.

Now it did a terrific job of opening my sinuses, but have mercy it felt like it was gonna burn my lip off some times, because of the Mentholatum. By the time it stopped stinging, you were either "cured or killed," as they say.

Well now someone has come up with a way to get the benefits without all the fuss and muss, so next time I have a cold I will be trying this. Hope you enjoy, and please if you give it a try, Talk To My Heart, let me know how it works for you and your family.

Subject: VICKS VAPOR RUB INTERESTING

During a lecture on Essential Oils, they told us how the foot soles can

absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes

you can 'taste' it.



Some of us have used Vicks Vapor rub for years for everything from chapped

lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've never heard of

this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists

who discovered it aren't sure why. To stop night time coughing in a child

(or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks Vapor rub generously on the

bottom of the feet at bedtime, then cover with socks. Even persistent,

heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many,

many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in

children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it

is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly.



Just happened to tune in A.M. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why

cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due to the chemical

makeup of these strong drugs so, I listened. It was a surprise finding and

found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at

bedtime, in addition to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children

who then went on to sleep soundly.



My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and persistent

cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that it felt like a warm

blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few minutes and believe me,

this was a deep, ( incredibly annoying!) every few seconds uncontrollable

cough, and she slept cough-free for hours every night that she used it.



If you have grandchildren, pass this on. If you end up sick, try it yourself

and you will be absolutely amazed at how it works.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Teaching Our Children To Be Civic Minded Citizens


It is almost time for the 2008 Presidential Election. I don't think I have ever missed voting in an election since I turned 18. They had just changed the law, to allow an 18 year old to vote, (for you youngsters, it used to be 21). I was so proud the first time I stepped into a polling place, I felt like I was grown and finally 100% American. You might say, "but you were born in America." Yes I was, but there was just something about voting that first time that confirmed it in my heart and mind, my chest was bursting with pride.

I don't know if that is the feeling everyone gets when they vote, but that feeling has never left me. Every time I vote it reaffirms the fact I, Marilyn Oliver am an American.
My oldest adopted child just turned 18 in October. I started telling her the importance of voting last year, she has only been with us going on 3 years, or she would have heard my spiel all her life.
Anyway I didn't wait for her to register to vote, I registered her online myself, cause she is quite a procrastinator. She was thrilled though when she got her Voter registration card in the mail about a month ago.
I don't stop there, when I went to vote in the primaries, I lugged all four of my girl's with me, took them all into the voting booth, so they could see what the process was. The people at our voting precinct didn't know quite what to think when I walked in and told them I would be taking the girl's in with me, but they were troopers and when we got done, they were each given an I voted today sticker, they all wore them out with pride in their eyes.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I am very patriotic. I still get a tear in my eye when the National Anthem is played, and we say the Pledge Of Allegiance to our flag. Nothing makes me angrier than to hear someone put down this great country of ours. I am one of those people who feel like if you don't love our country, then please go find somewhere you can be happy. We have so much freedom, and opportunities in this country, I don't think you will find that anywhere else in the world, we are blessed beyond what we deserve sometimes. We all take what we have for granted, and it seems the only time we think about it is when we see pictures of starving children in other countries, or when a freedom that affects us is going to be taken away. Friends that is why you should vote. If the things you believe in are there for you now, and someone who doesn't share those same beliefs is voted into office, then chances are what you hold near and dear may be gone, if that person has enough influence.

OK off my soap box and back to the kids. As I said I start brainwashing my kids to be patriots from the time they are old enough to listen. I don't take toddlers with me to vote, they can be distracting, but I do let them know Mommy is going to vote, and try to explain what that is. I usually start taking them with me to the polls at 4 or 5, and while they don't understand all that is going on they do know we are doing something very important. When I was in school we were taught everyday how important being an American was, and how important our civic duties to this country are. Kids today don't get that in school, it might offend someone else belief system. (Refer back to how I feel about if you don't love it leave it.)

What are these civic duties that we should be teaching our children? Well of course voting, jury duty, serving our country with military duty when called upon. Those are just some of the things considered civic duty, but I would also throw in some others here, how about the battered woman or child? Report the abuser. Did you see someone steal from the store you are shopping in? Report to the management. Civic duty means being responsible, not just for yourself, but for your fellow man.

Please teach your children to be good responsible citizens, they are our future, if we don't guide and lead them in the right direction, who will? I received a good article in my email the other day that also kind of goes along with my blog today. It was from Good Housekeeping, and I am including a link here for you to read it if you chose. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/activities/prep-kids-election-time

I was listening to the news today and found out one of the candidates will be in our town this Saturday. This is the first time that a Presidential candidate has been right here in my town that I can remember, if any were before, I was too young, or working and didn't know. I am not going to say which candidate, because my party preferences should not affect how someone else views this blog. To me it doesn't matter what party you are as long as you vote. Anyway, as soon as I heard about the rally I called to find out if there were any tickets left, they said no, but they were expecting some more in if I could stop by later. Well by the time I could get there they were all gone again, I was so disappointed, I told the lady how much I wanted to be able to take my children, and how important I felt it was for them to learn early. She said well, maybe another location had some, and she called for me, they did have some left, but only a few, if I could get there they were mine, but they could not hold them. I headed out crossing my fingers they would still have seven when I arrived. I stopped to get gas a couple of miles up the road, and my cell phone rang, it was the lady I had just talked to, I had given her my number just in case the other location was out, and they by chance got some more in. She said we have 750 tickets on the way here, if you can come back here in about an hour, I will put seven aside for you. I was elated. I headed back and stopped to pick up a few things from the store to defray my wait. When I go back to the head quarters the tickets still had not gotten there, the lady was gone I had spoken to, but another lady remembered me, and motioned me to come back and have a seat she said they will be here in about 15 minutes. There were a few other people waiting, and the crowd was slowly building. When the man walked in with the tickets, I was told I could only have four, well I knew it was one of those fight or flight moment's. I said to them, look I am not trying to be ugly, but I was called back here by the other lady and was promised there would be seven tickets waiting for me, as I have five children as well as myself and my husband. The other lady said, "she promised you seven?" I said yes when she called, she said "OK give her seven, but after that only four per person." See perseverance pays, not only did I get seven tickets, the T-shirts that they didn't think would come in until the next morning arrived at the same time, so now my husband and I have white ones to wear, and my daughter who thinks pink is the only color in the world has one in pink, oh was she so happy! "Mom, can my boy friend come?" I explained I could only get the seven tickets but if he wanted he could check to see if they had any more tickets. Well as luck would have it my 14 year old has a best friend who he has not seen in months, due to visitation with his father. He called and begged for my son to be able to come for the weekend, that freed up a ticket for her boyfriend, so that will make it even more special for her. He is 18 also, I hope he registered to vote, if not he will get Momma Marilyn's civic lesson on Saturday.

Well everyone Talk To My Heart, how do you feel about voting, and civic duties in general? Give a comment and let me know.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Mom, What's In my Lunch Box?

I have always paid for my children to get school lunch, or the last few years I have been one of "those moms ", my children have qualified for free or reduced lunch. This year we didn't qualify anymore, not because we had a huge increase in pay, but just a few dollars. Well with gas going up, the cost of food at the grocery stores and every thing else you can think of, I couldn't see paying $3.50 and up for lunch everyday for 5 children, we were looking at About $88.00 a week just for lunch , that didn't include breakfast. I told my children we just could not do that, and they would be taking their lunch from home.
The first week was fun, they had new lunch boxes, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and just a plain red and black for my 14 year old son, PLEASE! The next hurdle was what to get them to drink? I wanted something low in sugar, but with some kind of nutritional value, none of them really ever liked getting milk at lunch. Well a friend of mine told me about the Sugar free Hawaiian Punch Singles To Go. 5 calories per serving, 5 mg of sodium, 1 g of carbs, and best of all 100% of the RDA of vitamin C, woohoo. I found them in 5 flavors and they come 8 servings to a box, but those sticks as I call them make 16.9 fluid ozs, my kids lunch bottles are 8oz, so we actually get 16 servings. Best of all I bought them at Walgreens for $1.00 a box, can you say 6 cent per serving? The only way to beat that would be having coupons, but alas I couldn't find any.
Now back to my lunch delimena, what's that you say? You didn't say anything about a delimena. Well let me tell you folks, I have found out it is hard to find something for lunch that will please all 5 kids, 5 days a week. They got tired of bologna, turkey, and ham real quickly. I was able to supplement my middle and high schoolers boxes with hot pockets, and the smaller microwavable entrees, like beef and cheese, stroganoff, etc. but no such luck with my elementary schoolers, they aren't allowed to use the microwave. Heck I can't even give the their favorite, peanut butter and jelly, because of the chance that some children may have nut allergies. I understand this to a point, but why can't my child just be sat away from the child with allergies. I am lactoise intolerent but I still buy milk. Oh well, no use fighting that battle here.
I've tried reading the articles about keeping lunches interesting, well that might just work, if you have all day to do nothing but stay in the kitchen and cut out the cutsie little designs, and cut the veggies into exotic shapes, I can do that, "NOT"!
I guess I am going to have to check on the price of K-Rations, LOL, rub them or shake, I forget which, and they self heat. Now that would be nice, and they couldn't taste any worse than my kids say the cafeteria food does. Can they?
So what's a mom to do? When and if I figure it out, I promise to do an update to this Blog, in the meantime.....Talk To MY Heart, tell me what you do for your kid's lunches at school. Who knows maybe someone out there has the answer, I sure could use it before my kid's go on lunch strike, then I'll be "one of those moms who don't feed their kids"

Pushing The Future

My friend and mentor Anjie Henley at http://flbyu.blogspot.com/ gave us a link to day to an awesome blog and video that could potentially save us all a bunch of money in our gas tanks. I have heard all of our political parties ideas about new energy sources. They have talked about drilling, solar energy, clean coal, but the thing I haven't heard is what can help us now? Everything they are talking about is 7 or more years down the road, and I personally can not survive another 7 years with these kinds of Gas prices, and everything else going up. I was so impressed with this technology I want to know more and quickly. You can view the video here, and find out more, I personally think it is brilliant and I am proud to say this awesome invention was dreamed up by one of our Freelancebyu members, spouses, so it's kind of all in the family.
http://gasavings.blogspot.com/2008/10/gas-savings-in-our-future-push-hog.html

After you have a chance to view come on back and Talk to my heart, let me know what you think about this new invention.