Join Purex in Supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation Plus Giveaway

To honor the millions of children whose clothes Purex is helping to keep bright and clean every year, they are teaming up with Make-A-Wish to bring bright wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Purex brand will pay $.05 per bottle to Make-A-Wish for the first 4,000,000 bottles of 75 oz liquid detergent sold between February 1 and February 28.  That will be increased to $.10 for every bottle above the 4 million.

Purex brand will pay $0.08 per bottle to Make-A-Wish for the first 620,000 bottles of Classic and Ultra fabric softeners in Mountain Breeze and Sweet Lavender sold between February 1 and February 28.  This will increase to $0.10 per bottle above the 620,000.

Be sure to stock up on Purex laundry detergent and fabric softener during the month of February to help in the effort to support Make-A-Wish.
For more information visit http://www.purex.com/make-a-wish

A little more info about Make-A-Wish:
They are bases in Phoenix, Arizona and is one of the world's leading children's charities.  Make-A-Wish serves children in every community in the United States and it's territories.   With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, they grant a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes!
Make-A-Wish has granted more than 226,000 wishes since it's inception in 1980; more than 14,000 in 2013 alone.
Visit them at wish.org.

Purex Mountain Breeze scent has been a long time favorite of mine.  It's what my mom bought when I was growing up!

I'm pleased to be able to offer a giveaway where 2 winners will each win a free coupon to get their own bottle of Purex Mountain Breeze scented laundry detergent.
Just enter using the rafflecopter form below.

Disclosure: Purex laundry detergent provided me with the Purex coupons in exchange for sharing the Purex Make-A-Wish campaign. However, all opinions are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Frugal Friday With Marsha -Part 5 Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10

Excerpt from:
Lean Body Fat Wallet
Discover the Powerful Connection to Help You
Lose Weight, Dump Debt, and Save Money
By Danna Demetre and Ellie Kay
(Thomas Nelson – Dec. 10, 2013)


Part 1: Frugal Friday With Marsha--Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10 Raising Fit and Frugal Kids Part 1  http://marshasspot.blogspot.com/2014/01/frugal-friday-with-marsha-lean-body-fat.html

Part 2:
Frugal Friday with Marsha --Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10 Part 2  http://marshasspot.blogspot.com/2014/01/frugal-friday-with-marsha-lean-body-fat_17.html

Part 3: Frugal Friday with Marsha --Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10 Part 3  http://marshasspot.blogspot.com/2014/01/frugal-friday-with-marsha-lean-body-fat_24.html

Part 4: Frugal Friday With Marsha--Part 4 Lean Body Fat Wallet--Chapter 10 Health  http://marshasspot.blogspot.com/2014/01/frugal-friday-with-marsha-part-4-lean.html


(pgs. 191-194)
The Top Five Nutritional Roadblocks
for Young Children
Before you get too concerned about fine-tuning your child’s diet, be sure you are addressing the top five nutritional roadblocks for young children.

ROADBLOCK #1: TOO MUCH JUICE
Train your children from an early age to quench thirst with water. When juice is given, dilute it with water and limit it to six ounces per day. Rather than juice, whole fruits will provide fiber that slows the release of fruit sugar into the bloodstream.

ROADBLOCK #2: TOO MANY HYDROGENATED FATS
Hydrogenated fats, found in most margarine and processed foods, are known to limit nerve transmission and ultimately lead to cardiovascular disease. Pay attention to how many foods your family regularly eats that come in bags and boxes, because that is where you will find most of your troublesome foods. Try to increase both snack and mealtime foods that are found in the perimeter of your grocery store in the produce, dairy, and meat/poultry/fish sections. These are the foods that are closest to the way God made them originally!

ROADBLOCK #3: TOO MUCH SUGAR AND SODA
Children are naturally drawn to sweet tastes, so we need to be selective and wise as to just how much sugar they are ingesting. As noted above, using sweet flavors creatively and in combination with healthy foods is ideal. Too many parents think it is normal to provide candy, cookies, or treats to their children every day. If that is your habit, it will be theirs as well. We all enjoy a little sweet indulgence, and if kept to very small amounts, most children and adults don’t suffer negative results. But if dessert or candy is a daily part of your routine, it may grow into a bigger problem for your child later. In addition to being very high in sugar, soda is also high in phosphoric acid (bad for the bones) as well as tin and aluminum. However, offering your child diet sodas as an alternative is even scarier since non-caloric sweeteners such as NutraSweet have been shown to potentially cross the delicate blood-brain barrier and possibly impact cognitive function.2 Consider one soda a week as a healthy compromise for older children who are likely to be exposed to sugary drinks sometimes on a daily basis. Most people don’t realize that a moderate sugary treat can actually diminish immunity (by impacting white blood cell production) for several hours after ingestion.

ROADBLOCK #4: TOO LITTLE FIBER
Read the labels on your bread, cereal, and cracker packages. Look for good sources of fiber with listings of whole grains and minimal preservatives. For bread, try to find two to four grams of fiber per slice. For cereals, aim for four to six grams per serving. On the subject of cereal: do not cave in! Most children’s cereals are so low in fiber and high in sugar that it is like starting your child’s day with a bag of M&Ms. Buy one favorite sugary, sweet cereal and let your child have a small bowl once a week as dessert!

(pg. 193) ROADBLOCK #5: TOO LITTLE PROTEIN EARLY IN THE DAY
Good sources of protein at breakfast and lunch are essential for high energy and diminished sweet cravings (this goes for you also, parents). Eggs, protein shakes, and peanut butter on whole wheat toast are all great sources of protein that will get the whole family off to a healthy start. The protein you plan for dinner is less important than what you serve for breakfast and lunch. Get creative and find fun and healthy ways to increase protein early in the day. Nuts, string cheese, and chicken strips are great choices.

Taking Responsibility with Grace
It is essential that as parents we realize we are laying health and wealth foundations for our children that will impact them for a lifetime. If we get lazy and follow the path of least resistance by caving in every time they ask us to buy something or letting them eat unhealthy treats, they will inherit poor attitudes and habits that will impact their physical and financial wellness for decades. On the other hand, we don’t have to be overly legalistic either. Find the balance between excellent choices and intentional indulgences that celebrate a sustainable lifestyle your children can live with long term.

Healthy Messages to Grow Healthy Kids
What words do you use that influence how your kids think about food, money, and living a healthy and responsible lifestyle? Words have great power. Most of us can easily recite some of the negative messages we heard over and over as a child that haunt us for a lifetime if we don’t learn and practice techniques to erase and replace those statements. Many adults lament being told things like, “You’ll never amount to anything,” “You aren’t smart enough to go to college,” “You are lazy,” “You are messy,” and “You are unreliable.” As we’ve already learned, we believe what we are told and what we tell ourselves most often. So the words you choose to use with your children (in every area of their lives) matter.
As you determine to help your children grow healthy habits, choose to become mindful of the way you speak about spending, saving, eating, and exercise. By intentionally choosing specific statements that build up your child’s positive attitude, to instill strong messages that can serve them well for a lifetime.
Here are a few examples of strong, positive self-talk messages you may want to try at home:
• We are a family that plans ahead and chooses where we will spend our money intentionally so we can meet our bigger goals, such as vacations, college funds, and a better home for everyone to enjoy.
• Your allowance allows you to practice three uses of money that are all important: saving, giving, and spending.
• We choose to eat healthy foods that help us grow strong because our bodies work best when they are given the best fuel possible.
• We eat “ fun foods” in small amounts because too much makes us feel tired and is bad for our bodies.

1. Quoted in What Every Child Needs by Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuy Kendall (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 122.
2. Joseph M. Mercola, D.O., "Aspertame: Safety Approved in 90 Nations, but Damages the Brain,” September 26, 2012, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/26/aspartame-causes-brain-damage.aspx.

Stayed tuned next Friday as we start to look at Chapter 7:  Fat Cell Fat Sales



Disclosure: These book excerpts were sent to me to share with my audience by Nelson books. I was not compensated for sharing these other that receiving a copy of the book for review. Posts do contain my affiliate links.

Squidoo Hopping 2/6/14

Seems I have a full blown case of the the flu.  I should be looking up lenses about the flu, I might find some hints to help me feel better.   Actually my doctor has called me in a prescription for one of the z-paks.

Aside from being sick, I did actually build a new lens this week.  Lenslet I guess they are called.  It's on Green Eggs and Ham.  I will put it in the linky.  There is another book I want to do...Runaway Bunny, that Ruthi aka abitosunshine has as one of her suggested books to review.   I haven't had a chance to look on my children's book shelf to see if I still have the book.

How has your week been with squidoo?
I hope to see lots of links added this week.  Keep me busy!

WIP Wednesday--Sewing While Sick

omg....I woke up Monday morning with a terrible headache.  As the day progressed I felt worse and worse.  I had brought my Brother into the living room to work on the Goodnight Irene blocks.
Once I finished those on Monday evening I traded machines and brought in my Bernetta with the walking foot.

First things first, here is a picture of my 92 log cabin blocks that I am working on.  I have the second round on and have them squared up.

A baby wipes container holds them nicely for now.

Next up is the 2 rows of the Goodnight Irene quilt with Terry's Treasures sew along.  See the button on the right for more information.

Now we come to my applique bunny quilt.   I intended to just get the 3rd row on.  But, since we were getting snowed in, and I didn't feel well, I just kept going.  I even started sewing down the binding after taking this picture.  I am really disappointed in how small this is.   I have worked on getting the bunnies done for many months.  It's barely big enough for a baby, possibly a toddler!

I may finish sewing down the binding today.  Right now I'm typing in bed.  I'm feeling pretty rough and have no clue what is wrong with me.

As a reminder here is my UFO and NewFO list for Joanie's Trendy Quilts challenge.  You can also see more information on this to the right.

UFO's:
Log Cabin quilt
2 Log Cabin wall hangings
Rectangle quilt
2 rectangle table runners
challenge wall hanging
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Quilt for sewing club at church
Applique Bunnies quilt
 (Finished) Penny Patch Quilt 
Yo-Yo Table runner

NewFO's
Sunflower table runner and matching placemats
Spiderweb quilt
Easter wall hanging
Cat wall hanging
Christmas bags (total of at least 25)
Hexagon table topper.

I am linking up with the following blogs, but also with Terry's Treasures as well.



 

Creating Celebration Quilts by Cyndi Souder---Review

Creating Celebration Quilts--Your Guide to Making Memory Quilts is by Cyndi Souder and published by Schiffer.
ISBN 978-0-7643-4350-6


The first thing that I want to say is that this is a guide book. The book shows many ideas for memory quilts but does not include the patterns for making them.

The book is divided in 3 sections. Section 1 teaches you how to use a celebration quilts worksheet to map out what you want on your memory quilt etc.
There are lots of examples.
There is a reproducible worksheet to use over and over.
There are 5 examples of quilts and their planning using the worksheet.

Section 2 starts out talking about your toolbox? What is your toolbox? It's many things....all of your experiences pertaining to art and sewing....DVD's you've watched, classes you have taken, any sewing at all that you have done, even finger painting in Kindergarten.

The items in section 2 will add to your toolbox. Subjects include taming the difficult, using photographs, quilting tips, hanging sleeves, and all about labels.

The book ends with Section 3. Section 3 has 10 pages of a gallery of Celebration Quilts and the story behind each one.


I belong to the Heart of Kansas Quilt Guild here in Hutchinson, KS.
I took Creating Celebration Quilts to our last meeting and had several of the ladies take a look at it. Some asked that I not mention their name in my post, so I will just put all comments in quotes.

"This isn't too bad."
"I love the idea of teaching how to use the worksheet and then how to make labels."
"I like the variety of beginner to advanced in the examples"
"It's handy how they show the layout for planning."
"There are good ideas in the book, but I like to see measurements and step by step patterns in the books that I purchase."
"Good ideas and modern."
"Some of the patterns in the examples are really neat ones, and you can figure out how to make them on your own if you would like a quilt like that."
"I agree with the other lady that I do like a book that shows the patterns."




Disclosure: I rec'd a copy of Creating Celebration Quilts from the publisher for the purpose of my review. I was not compensated in any way and all opinions are my own. Post does contain my affiliate links.

Funny Saint Patrick's Day T-Shirts!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Find your St. Patrick's Day T-shirts at saintpatrickdayshirts.com !!

Saint Patrick's Day Shirts offers hilarious saint patty tees for all tastes.  Their tees are printed on the highest quality softest cotton.  Available in Women's (slightly form fitting) or Men's Standard Fit. Shirt hems may vary depending on style chosen.
Features:
* Great Colors
* Soft, Stylish, Versatile
* Quick Shipping through USPS
* High Quality, Lightweight, Soft Cotton T shirts

They also offer t-shirts in sizes for children.  The whole family can be in on the fun!

Below is a picture of my daughter's boyfriend wearing the shirt that I picked out from the website:

Here are just some of the other ones that I like from the website:

The t-shirt that I received is a high quality, soft cotton.  My daughter's boyfriend had to laugh as he could name several of his friends that would also love one just like it.

Hop on over and pick out your own funny St. Patrick's Day t-shirts today  :)

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

My First Quilt Along (QAL)

I am happy to be taking part in the 2014 Online Quilt Show, hosted by Hobbies On A Budget.

I was finally able to take part in my first QAL. (Quilt Along).
It was hosted by Stitched in Color.   I happened across it while going through the WIP Wednesday posts of others one week.  One blog that I hopped over to talked about her and her daughter taking part in the QAL.  I clicked over and to my delight it wasn't too late to join in.

You can click HERE if you would like to know more about the QAL, even though it is completed now.

I started to learn how to quilt several years ago, but still consider myself to be in the beginner's stage.....maybe heading in to intermediate since I am learning more and more all of the time.

This is my first quilt completed in 2014!!  It was to be done before Christmas, but I didn't make that deadline.  I'm glad that others didn't either :)

Here is a picture of the completed quilt:

Here is a close-up.  This is the first time I have attempted to machine quilt anything this large.  (It's called lap size but seems a lot larger to me).  Prior to this one I've only machine quilted a baby quilt.
I did a simple straight line, and should have done more than I did, but I am happy with it.

This photo shows the backing I used (a thicker bed sheet) and the binding.  I was fortunate that I had this blue binding already made up and it was the perfect size for this Penny Patch.

I had so much fun making this quilt!   I like the design too.

I am now taking part in a sew along with Terry's Treasures and a UFO and NewFo challenge with Joanie's Trendy Quilts.   You will find buttons for both of these to the right if you are interested. Both buttons are clickable and will take you to their blogs for more information.

Click along with this year's 2014 Online Quilt Show below.  Every blog taking part has this list at the bottom so you can go from one to the next until you have seen all of the quilts.  Have fun!

Frugal Friday With Marsha--Part 4 Lean Body Fat Wallet--Chapter 10 Health

Excerpt from:
Lean Body Fat Wallet
Discover the Powerful Connection to Help You
Lose Weight, Dump Debt, and Save Money
By Danna Demetre and Ellie Kay
(Thomas Nelson – Dec. 10, 2013)


Part 1: Frugal Friday With Marsha--Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10 Raising Fit and Frugal Kids Part 1 

Part 2: Frugal Friday with Marsha --Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10 Part 2 

Part 3: Frugal Friday with Marsha --Lean Body Fat Wallet Chapter 10 Part 3 


(pg. 186) HEALTH
There is a troubling and obvious trend manifesting all over America.
You can see it every time you are out in a crowd—at the mall, an amusement park, or even church. It is visible, it is growing, and it is significant. The problem is the increasing number of not only overweight but also truly obese people. But the most troubling fact of all is that many, many of those people are children!
I (Danna) am very concerned as I watch more and more kids choosing television and video games over going out and riding bikes or actively playing. In my neighborhood, I see more youth on motorized scooters than ever. When our now-sixteen-year-old adopted grandson was younger, we implemented intentional timelines for watching television or playing video games so that he never developed a habit of sitting in front of a screen for endless hours. One year in junior high when his grades were not reflecting his ability, we acted on a previously set boundary and sold his Xbox game system. He was very unhappy, but two years later, he admitted the Xbox was a waste of time, and it had become too easy to “zone out” on mindless activity.

It’s Not My Fault!
If you spend any time at all with eleven- to seventeen-year-olds, you will hear the words “It’s not my fault” far too frequently. In recent years, there have been numerous criticisms and even threats of legal action against fast-food companies and other food-industry promoters of the American fat epidemic. But let’s be completely honest and ask ourselves the right questions such as, “Are these companies telling us their products are healthy? Are they force-feeding us their supersized, calorie-dense products?” Of course they are not. We willingly line up, drive through, and dig into their burgers, side orders, and desserts with gusto.
The important question is this: Whose responsibility is it to choose the foods we eat and to live the lifestyles we live? Do we depend on American marketing to tell us what is good for us? That is absolutely absurd. That being said, our children are certainly not informed enough to discern wisely for themselves how they should eat and live for maximum health. That responsibility is up to parents, teachers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and the like.
So what kind of mentor are you to the observers in your life? And I don’t mean only children. Wives influence husbands and vice versa. Friends influence each other. And most importantly, parents are the key role models for their children. When Dad starts the day with coffee and a doughnut, what does that tell your son? And when Mom skips breakfast altogether, what example does she set for her adolescent daughter? The influence is great . . . the responsibility even greater.
If you don’t want your son or daughter to be one of the increasing numbers of children who will have type 2 diabetes before they reach college, then you must take responsibility now. If that isn’t a great incentive, I don’t know what is!

Growing Healthy Kids
Getting young children to eat healthfully is a huge challenge. The suggestions below will help parents and grandparents understand some important factors that influence young ones toward a lifestyle of healthy choices. Adults and children have their own unique responsibilities when it comes to mealtime. A child’s responsibility is to chew and swallow. The parent’s responsibility is to provide a variety of healthy foods in a relaxed environment. When these lines are crossed or confused, mealtimes can become very unpleasant.
It is important for parents to realize that every eating experience is an adventure for your child. There are many skills required for young children to master eating—from grasping a fork to capturing a roll-away pea, not to mention simply getting something slippery or scary-looking into their mouths and swallowing. Young children engage most of their senses (smell, touch, sight, and taste . . . sometimes even sound) when they are discovering and eating foods. They love to feel it squish or crunch in their little hands and often will play with it before it enters their mouths. Of course, we should accept that of our twelve- to twenty-four- month child. At six years old, food experiments at the dinner table are unacceptable.
Parents need to slow down and approach mealtime with the same wonder and amazement as the child experiences, realizing it takes at least eight exposures to a new food before a child can actually develop a positive taste for that food—no matter what his or her age. My son’s sixteen-year-old girlfriend has had very limited exposure to the wide variety of foods our family eats. Sometimes I hear him prodding her on, saying, “Come on . . . try it . . . You’ll like it!” I remind him that he hated avocados and artichokes until he’d experienced them many times—all the while smiling inside as I realize he’s responded in healthy ways to our gentle, yet persistent encouragement to try new, healthy foods. Today he’s on the varsity football team and is one of the strongest offensive and defensive linemen—thanks in part to healthy foods!

Taste Physiology
Your taste buds actually grow and mature as they are exposed to a variety of new tastes and textures. Unfortunately, most parents give up after one or two negative experiences, convinced that “Johnny just hates vegetables.” But the truth is that Johnny never really got a chance to develop a taste for those veggies. Mom or Dad caved in to his initial negative response, and Johnny is ultimately the loser as his little body is shortchanged by not receiving all the incredible nutrients God power-packed into many healthy foods.
There are four types of taste buds: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The sweet taste buds are strongest at birth and also surge in puberty, especially in girls. If we do not foster development of the other kinds of taste buds by introducing foods that promote their growth, our children will never learn to enjoy a wide variety of healthy foods. So how do we get our kids to even try foods that challenge their “sweet sensibilities”? Creativity, persistence, and patience are essential. The objective is to find something that will motivate your children to at least put the food in their mouths. Here are several ideas to help you in that quest:

CREATE “TASTE MOTIVATION” FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
If your child is into dinosaurs, then talk about foods such as asparagus or broccoli being “dinosaur” food. Tell them that one reason dinosaurs were so strong was because they ate lots of green foods. (Hopefully, they won’t ask you if that’s why they are extinct also!) Talk about how some foods build muscles (boys love that), make their hair shiny, or give them lots of energy to run faster and jump higher.

Give Them Tasty Condiments
You don’t have to be a complete food purist. Realizing that your child’s sweet taste buds are the most developed, you may want to add a slightly sweetened dip for fruits and veggies that are still not on your child’s “favorite” list. Some kids simply want a flavor they recognize, such as butter or chicken broth, in some foodsMost active children can handle the few extra calories that help them enjoy the foods they need most but are resistant to trying.

Dealing with the Veggie Rejecter
You may have a child who clenches his teeth and begins a forceful standoff anytime veggies are even mentioned. Take heart. There are five fruits that provide very similar nutritional value to many key veggies. They include kiwis, mangos, cantaloupe, strawberries, and apricots. You can also sneak carrot juice and “super green” supplements into fruit smoothies or protein shakes, and they won’t even know it. Don’t ever stop offering veggies to your kids. Research shows that children who are introduced to vegetables early in life will return to them in their teens and adulthood.


Stay tuned for part 5 next Friday!




Disclosure:  These book excerpts were sent to me to share with my audience by Nelson books.  I was not compensated for sharing these other that receiving a copy of the book for review.  Posts do contain my affiliate links.

It's MOBILE Swag Bucks Day!

 

 

At Swagbucks, Fridays Mobile Swag Bucks Day! 

What is Mobile Swag Bucks Day? It is a day filled with opportunities to win bonus Swag Bucks for sharing images of your Swag Buck wins on your mobile phone - on either the Swagbucks app or mobile site. What should members share? Any SB award from a mobile device, such as:

• Search win using the mobile app/site
• Answering the Daily Poll on the mobile app/site
• Discover awards on the mobile app/site
• Awards for watching SBTV Mobile
• Awards for watching EntertaiNOW app
• Redeeming a Swag Code on the mobile app (see below)

Note: SB members outside the US can participate in MSBD via the Swagbucks mobile site. Just take a screenshot of your win and share it on Swagbucks Facebook or Swagbucks Twitter including #MSBD and your Swagname. Throughout the day we will randomly choose members and award them 25 SB! (we will soon expand this to include other social media platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, etc.)

 

 

Swag Codes: Now On The Go! [US ONLY]

 

Swag Codes are always fun surprises to get bonus Bucks. Now they're even easier to redeem: on the go with the Swagbucks app on your mobile device. Just this week, Swagbucks released an update to their free app so you can now enter Swag Codes from your mobile phone! How easy is that?    Currently this update is available for Android phones only, so make sure you've updated your Swagbucks app, or go to the Google Play Store to download it for free! The Swag Code feature will also be available on their iOS app in the coming days. If you haven't started earning free gift cards with Swagbucks.com yet and collecting this bonus Swag Bucks via Swag Codes, you're missing out on a world of savings. In fact, last year I was able to get $60 in amazon gift cards and $225 in paypal just with Swagbucks.com!!!

 

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Squidoo Hopping 1/30/14

I'm pretty ashamed......
I was linking up with Nonersays this week and decided I should go in and change the how many day until Halloween on my Visit a Kansas Pumpkin Patch lens.  OMG!   It was still set for 2012, so I never even changed it last year.  Sheesh!

Also while there I seen that one of the zazzle items was only showing the coding.  It was within the google maps module.   I first thought that the t-shirt wasn't being sold anymore. I went to zazzle and searched and found a cute postcard invitation that I thought I would put in there instead.
Nope....only the code showed up again.  I am guessing that we can no longer put anything else in with the google maps module...at least not html.

I liked the post card so well that I did change out what was in the guestbook for it.  I'm adding this lens to the linky along with another one from about the middle of my lensrank.

I really do want (more like need) to get busy on working on lenses!!