If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Matthew 7:11

I am constantly in awe at all the “good gifts” that God continually provides for our family, and the funny and clever ways in which we often get them. Because my hubby and I got married very young (he was 20, I was 19) we started out our life with a bunch of mismatched hand me down furniture from both of our families. They gave us what they could spare, and what they couldn’t we just did without. I had an entire full sized bedroom set but since hubby is 6’7″ he didn’t fit onto that bed at all. His parents gave us some hand-me-down queen sized mattresses and we slept on them-on the ground-for the first several years. Eventually we did buy a cheap frame to get them up off the ground but it quickly broke during one of our many moves. So back on the floor we slept again.

I’m not complaining, it worked and beat forking out a bunch of money we didn’t have for something we didn’t really need. I did feel a little like a college dorm room student, however! During this last move I told hubby that I *really* wanted to at least get a frame again, I was tired of sleeping on the floor! Unable to find a good priced frame around here I resigned myself to that happening again, however.

The day we received all our things back a funny thing happened. I walked in our bedroom from unpacking to find hubby measuring the bed. I asked what he was doing and he said, “you’ll see.” Within 15 minutes he was carrying in a gorgeous queen sized headboard and frame. Totally confused I asked what was going on. He replied that he found them in the empty dumpster when he went to put the empty cardboard boxes in it. I was stunned. There is literally one tiny knick in the headboard and other than that it’s perfect! You know what they say….One man’s trash….

So on the very day the rest of our furniture arrived God not only provided the bed frame I’d been wanting but a beautiful headboard as well.

How cool is that?!

Nicole Elliott is a regular contributor for the Christian Moms Business Resource blog and is the administrative assistant for CMB Resource and Mommy Bag Marketing, inc.

Filed under: monday's mommy minute | 3 Comments »

Kelly Russo  wants you to know that as of July 16, 2010 these are the latest Disney Deals:

Walt Disney World in Florida is offering FREE Dining from August 2nd thru Dec 21st 2010.
There are various blackout dates.

Disney Cruise Line is offering several specials for 3 and 4 Night Sailings in the Fall of 2011.

On July 21, 2010 Adventures By Disney will announce new itineraries and open up bookings for 2011 itineraries.

Disneyland in California has buy 3 nights get 2 free.

There are several other deals for Florida residents and military families.
Contact me at KellyR@travelwiththemagic.com for a free quote.

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Suzanne Rogelstad July Specials for Apriori Beauty

In honor of Independence Day, liberate yourself from disappointing product results with a free upgrade to Celloxylin anti-aging skincare from Apriori Beauty! “Send us your tired, your poor anti-aging results …” and we’ll send you back a Celloxylin® skincare face product of your choice on us — up to a $99 value! All you pay is shipping and handling, $15.

There’s no strings attached, simply send us an anti-aging face product you didn’t like (any brand) with a completed claim form and we’ll send back your choice of one of eight Celloxylin skincare products from Apriori Beauty! One per household, while supplies last, in July.

SAVE 40% MORE IN JULY — REG $478. Save on the Derma Firm Illuminator System when purchased with the full-size Celloxylin Cellular Age Advantage Set #210. This in-home treatment combines the benefits of the NutrientReservoir from the Precision Skin Rejuvenator with a skin machine that stimulates with multiple methods!

SAVE 40% MORE IN JULY — REG $395. Save on the Derma Firm Illuminator System when purchased with the 30-Day Celloxylin Cellular Age Advantage Set #025.

To take advantage of these specials call me or email me. 916-276-4935 or srogelstad@sbcglobal.net

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Gwen Andersen July Special for Beachbody!

I am offering free Shakeology workout DVD’s to the first three people that place an order on my website. There are two DVD’s in the set – one is a 30 minute workout and the other is a 50 minute workout. Just email me your address with your ID name and mention CMBR to get your free DVD’s .

Call or email me with questions.
(636) 233-1524
gweeno@sbcglobal.net
http://www.YourWorikoutNow.com/

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Vanessa Walker wants you to know about the Mix and Match BOGO Sale!!!

From 7/17 ~ 7/23, buy any product and get 2nd (of equal or lesser value) 50% off!! Mix and Match items!! That means, you can buy a NEW Peach Satin Hands® Pampering Set at regular price and then get the Mary Kay® Eau de Toilette Body Lotion in NEW Forever Orchid™ for just $7.50!! It’s a great way to stock up on your favorite Timewise skin care products, or to fill your MK Compact or Compact Pro with the new MK Mineral Eye and cheek colors!!!!

Shop www.marykay.com/vwalker08 and enter promo code JUL50 in the comment section at checkout.
Also, mention which product(s) you would like the 50% discount applied to, and I will adjust prices accordingly before payment is processed.

* Want to host an online party? I’m now scheduling dates for July!! Contact me through my website so you can earn $250 of product for $50!!

* Want to do what I do? Need to earn some extra $$ ? I’m currently building my team, so contact me today to find out how YOU can start your own MK business!! Dream in Pink and you can Reach for the Stars!!

And don’t forget about the 3 New Shades for the Beauty That Counts creme lipsticks! Help fight domestic violence! Available for purchase May 1st – September 15th!!

Visit Vanessa’s Website for complete details!

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Isagenix Special from Jen Malcolm! Order a 9-day program and receive a canister of Want More Energy for $10.00 (savings of $11.00)

With Isagenix you can:

* Achieve your perfect weight
* Gain energy
* Improve mental clarity
* Cleanse ~ Replenish ~ Revitalize
* Earn an income while getting healthy

Think about it … if you can’t afford health, how will you afford illness?

Purchase either a 9-day program or 30-day program and receive daily coaching plus a FREE 30-serving canister of FiberPro. Please feel free to contact me for details 910-339-6838 or jbm96@nc.rr.com and as always you can visit my personal website .

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Brandy Searcy of Return to Eden Cosmetics :

A Zen life meets SEN skincare… safe, effective, natural. And, made in Fort Collins, CO.

Save 25% off your entire order by entering CMBChristian at checkout.

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Arbonne July Specials from Michelle Opoien!

Free Client Membership and Shipping on an order of $150 Retail Value (you are getting 20% off so this is really only about $120 out of pocket!)

Purchase our RE9 Advanced Skin Care Set and receive our Collagen Supplement (a $68) value for free. Clinically proven results in 24 hours!

Host a get together and receive $300 in products for free! We can do a catalog party and if you get 5 orders I will send you the gifts if you are not in Colorado!

To get my specials you will need to call or email me!
michelle.opoien@gmail.com

Call Michelle @ 303-503-2171
or visit My Website

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Special offer from Kimeve Edmonson

Happy SATURDAY! Earn Cash, FREE Groceries, Gas… over and over again! ‘Nuff Said. http://www.thehealthhabit.com/
Bless ♥

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July Special from Roxanne Cash, Jewelry Consultant!

 (Reverse Save Plan where you only Buy 1 at Reg Price instead of 2!!)

Buy 1 Reg Price
Get 2 Half Price
Most Expensives Half OFF!!!!

Have a Home, Catalog or Online show and Pick out 1 Piece of jewelry in the catalog under $100 FOR FREE just for having a show!!

Email: angls@verizon.net
Home: 757-886-1314
www.liasophia.com/roxannecash (Order Online Anytime)

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Deborah LaPrade wants you to know that Gold Canyon Candles Summer’s Coolest Wax Promotions are Sizzling Hot!

 Purchase any 16oz. Heritage candle or a Scent Pod and receive a bonus! These bonusses are good on my personal website, party orders or you could win prizes! How about electronics, CASH or a vacation?
Host a party this month of $350 and receive $40 in free merchandise, a Heritage candle 75% off, and one item half off! Do a party of $400 and receive one of  their new Scentmates for free, in additon to $60 in free items, 75% off Heritage and an item half off. Lemon Dream Pie, Coconut Mango Breeze and Pineapple Coast are wonderful summer scents to burn anytime for that summery feeling!

Great gifts for Birthdays, Weddings and Baby Showers! Check out her website to see all of our line of products for every room in your home.

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Our Staycation: In the great Buckeye State!

The travel bug has hit me hard this year. It has been almost 3 years since my husband and I have taken a vacation. I was 3 months pregnant with Luci at the time and my family was headed down to the Buckeye State’s biggest travel destination: Hilton Head Island. I’m pretty sure there are more Ohioans down in South Carolina in the summer than the people who live there. Everywhere you turn there is someone in an Ohio State shirt and it makes me feel like I’m home. There is one place on the island that a band plays and they ask where people are from. They say a couple states here and there, but when they say Ohio, I kid you not, more than 80% of the crowd screams for Ohio! It’s pretty amazing. There is even a bumper sticker that says OH-HIO!!!

Anyways, my cousin is due with her first baby in August this year, so my mom and I were talking about making a trip out in September to see her and the new addition. Where, you ask? Colorado! I absolutely love traveling out to Colorado. For many years, we would head out there at least once a year for some occasion or just a vacation. Then I got married, had kids and our travels came to a halt. But I’m ready to brave the skies with two kids aboard this year. I just hope the rest of the plane is ready for us!

Now for those of you thinking about making a trip to OH-IO, then here are a few musts while you are here! Now mind you I live in Columbus, but I have lived in all the major cities at least once in my life, so I can suggest any activity from Cleveland down to Cincinnati!

Attractions that you should hit that are kid friendly!:

- The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, The Cleveland Zoo and Botanical Gardens, The Cincinnati Zoo, COSI ( Center of Science and Industry), Cedar Point, Kings Island, See a Reds or Indians Game, Come Visit Me and I will take you to Ohio State (can you tell that I’m a Buckeye Fan) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Places To Eat (All Ohio Based Companies):

Skyline Chili, Graeter’s Ice Cream, Max and Erma’s, Schmidt Sausage Haus, any of the Cameron Mitchell restaurants, Bravo’s Cucina Italiana, LaRosa’s Pizza, The Very First Wendy’s, Donato’s Pizza and if you must White Castle (but please don’t stop by my house afterwards)

There are tons of things to do in Ohio and I’ve never really realized it because I live here, but come on over to the Midwest and we’ve got going on here this summer!

Happy and Safe Travels!

Abbey Fatica is the owner and founder of Living My Moment

*Giveaway* 1 winner, 6 pints of Graeters icecream, An $80 value!!! Click HERE to enter!

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Tell us about yourself: I am truly blessed! I’m married to my best friend, and have two wonderful boys. We love to go camping in our trailer in the summer as much as possible. I enjoy running and LOVE my coffee!

 Give us a description of your company: With 20 years of experience as an administrative professional I decided it was time to share my experience and help support those who are leaders in Direct Sales, by providing them with Virtual Assistance.

 How long have you been in business?  April 2010

How long have you been a Christian & share a little about your faith: Born and raised a Catholic, my husband and I have continued that tradition of faith with our family. We have a wonderful parish near our home, where our boys attend religious education and I also help volunteer as a teacher.

 How has your faith in God inspired and helped grow your business? I’ve always believed that God has planted a seed of greatness in each of us, and in my life I’ve always worked towards finding my gift and learning how I can best use my gift to help serve others. I’ve tried many things along the way trying to find this place, but when I finally got very clear on my gift of providing administrative services, and whom I can best help serve, leaders in direct sales, it all became very clear to me that this was the path God had intended for me all along. The time was right, my vision became clear and I knew that this was what God had intended for me all along.

 What Advice can you give to other moms thinking about starting their own business? It’s important to focus on what your gifts and strengths are. I struggled for a long time trying to be in “sales” I was fighting against my gift. Take some time and look at what you really enjoy doing, what comes easily to you because chances are the things you take for granted as being easy for you to do, may not be as easy for someone else to do, because they have a different gift. I also strongly recommend, if you can budget it, working with a coach. My coach has helped me in so many ways, I know without a doubt that her guidance and support has helped me create something that not only am I proud of, but is in line with the needs of my family and is something that is going to last. 

Are you willing to allow other Christian moms to contact you if they would like to know more about starting their own business?  Yes

What specials can you offer Moms visiting from CMB Resource? Anyone from CMB who purchases the Starter Kit Package, which is 5 hours of VA service with a 5% discount (Cost $142.50) will also get an extra hour of service for free, for a total of 6 hours a savings of $37.50

Visit Melissa’s Website!

http://www.TheGoldenRuleVA.com

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Deadwood, South Dakota.  The name doesn’t conjure up images of a family vacation, but rather of toll and strife in a land at the edge of a new nation, where laws were ill enforced.

But, Deadwood and the surrounding area is definitely worth a family outing.  Deadwood itself offers adventure for the history buff in the family.  And, don’t worry, there’s plenty of history worthy of capturing the imagination of the youngsters.  Stop in to see the trial of Jack McCall and be sure to pan for gold at one of the historic mines near Deadwood.

And, for the nature lovers, the area is absolutely gorgeous.  Nestled in the heart of the Black Hills National Forest, I felt briefly as though I might be in north Georgia or North Carolina as we drove through South Dakota.  I was overwhelmed by the greenery in such a western locale.

Just a short drive from Mt Rushmore, Needles Highway (a MUST see if you’re in the area), and Crazy Horse Monument, Deadwood makes the perfect place to set up base camp for your family outing to South Dakota this summer. 

Brandy Searcy is the owner and founder of Return to Eden Cosmetics, LLC.

*Giveaway* Return to Eden Cosmetics is giving away a bottle of Oat & Pomegranate Day Cream and Toujours Jeune Illuminating Light Oil Free Day Cream just in time for summer.  Both of these products are very light weight and loaded with anti-oxidants to aid in shielding your skin from UV rays and environmental stresses.

Click HERE to enter!

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…Stay Out Of The Kitchen

Part Two

 I hope you’re finding ways to enjoy summer, even during the days when it’s too hot to do anything except spend time in the air conditioning!!! But sometimes it’s just unavoidable—you have to turn on the oven and slave over a hot stove, even though the temperature outside is almost the same as what the oven’s preheating to! Here are some ideas to help you survive the heat wave coming from your kitchen.

When you have to turn the oven on, try to use it for more than just one thing. I always mix up two batches of brownies at the same time (just use two mixing bowls and then pour into separate baking pans) and bake them one at a time! (Trust me on that one—if you bake them together, you’ll have a crunchy brownie topping for ice cream sundaes for the next six months, but you won’t have nice soft brownies to eat!) I bake the ones we’re going to eat right away in a 9×13 pan, and then I use two pie plates for the second batch, which freeze nicely in one gallon storage baggies. By this time, the oven’s been on for an hour, but you have accomplished dessert for tonight and one or two other occasions, too!

 Ditto with your main dish: double up. If the oven’s going to be on and heating up the house, make sure you’re getting enough left-overs that they can do double-duty for at least one more meal, and preferably two or three more!

 I think it’s worth it to give serious consideration to when you fire up the oven: in the morning, before the heat of the day gets too awful, or at suppertime, when the heat of the day is in full force. I’ve found that if I heat up my kitchen early in the day, my house has a hard time recovering, and it seems hot the rest of the day. If I crank up the oven at suppertime, my house is already warm, but in my neck of the woods I only have an hour or so before I can throw open the windows and enjoy the night breezes’ cooling effect! Your air conditioning may be more efficient than mine, so experiment with what works best for you!

 Also, think about what foods you commonly cook on the stovetop that could be relegated to the microwave. I found a $5 microwave steamer that cooks rice, pasta, and steams veggies, and I will never go back to the stovetop for any of those things again! (In fact, I bought a second one for our camper!) I never succeeded at making a batch of pasta on my stovetop without the starchy water boiling over and making a mess on my glass-top stove, but I love that my microwave steamer can cook a pound of pasta in under 15 minutes with no mess to clean up!

 I’ll never be a Martha Stewart or a Julia Childs. I don’t have the cooking “gene” and I am constantly thinking of ways to stay OUT of the kitchen and still make sure my family eats well. I hope you’ll join me on my quest to stay calm, cool, and collected while facing down the sometimes-necessary evils of a hot kitchen! Share your tips here, and we’ll stay cool together!

Visit Dana’s site!

www.thestoryofyou.cceasy.com

Don’t forget to enter to win our Grand Prize Vacation Package!

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Vacation Safety Tips
By Kay Green, http://www.mypreciouskid.com/
Copyright 2000-2010

You are going to Disneyland (or other vacation) with your children and want to make sure they are safe. We can help protect your children and give you peace of mind too.  Below are my favorite ideas for keeping your children safe while there.

Q: During summer vacation to Disneyland, I am concerned with keeping my children safe. What do you suggest I do if they get lost?

A: As concerned parents, there are several things we can do to protect our children at Disneyland or on vacation.

1. Have each child (ages 0-18) wear a physical ID at all times. (ID
bracelet, show tag or kids dog tags)

2. Play the “What if …” game with your children. If you ask my toddler,
“What if Mommy gets lost?” (they never think they are lost) she will tell
you, “Find another mommy, take off my shoe (or bracelet or scope) and ask
the mommy to call you!”

3. Make a game of remembering what color each of you is wearing to
Disneyland each day. If you are at a large group, wear matching T- shirts to
help identify your group.

4. Have a plan: If we get separated, stay where you are, and Mommy will find
you. If you are scared, ask another mommy to stay with you and call me.

5. Have a photo ID of each child in your wallet. In case of separation, you
have a photo and description to help others looking for the child. Each
adult with the group needs an ID card for each child..

6. Have multiple family contacts and telephone numbers in the glove box, in
your purse, in backpacks, on shoe stickers, on strollers, etc. Add numbers
for family members not traveling with you (grandma, sister, uncle, brother).
7. Every child and teen should carry an ID card with family contact numbers,
cell phone numbers plus a medical release signature. Put it in their wallet,
in their backpack and on their car seat and stroller.

8. Teach the child to drop to the ground and scream loudly, “He is not my
daddy/mommy. HELP!” if someone tries to take them.

9. If your child has a hard time traveling bring along a favorite toy or
lovie. That will make the vacation more pleasant for everyone.

10. Take your child’s photo on your camera phone as you enter the park each
day. If they get separated you know what they are wearing and can show the
photo.

*Giveaway* 1 Buggy Guard Stroller Lock  Click HERE to enter!

Articles written by Kay Green, Child Safety Expert, and Christian mom to Melissa 27, Jordan 25, Allison 22, Haley 10. Kay and Russell, her husband of 30 years live in rural Oregon. Kay’s first granddaughter Madison Kay was born December 2006. Twin grandsons Micah & Mason were born May 2009. Another grandchild is due in September 2010. Kay also owns http://www.mypreciouskid.com/ Child Safety & Baby Gear Store. COPYRIGHT 2000-2010 My Precious Kid,  Kay Green. All rights reserved. Reprinting is only with this author’s box and copyright intact.

Filed under: Family Vacations, Giveaways | No Comments »

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Stay Out of the Kitchen!

In the middle of the dog days of summer, I can’t think of a worse way to spend the day than slaving over a hot oven in the kitchen! Spending time in the kitchen has never been one of my favorite things to do, but during the summer my 15-minute rule goes into effect: if dinner takes longer than 15 minutes to make, I’m not making it!

And yet, my family still expects to eat three meals a day, regardless of the steamy temperatures outside. So, I’ve had to come up with a few coping strategies so that we all can enjoy dinner together without a stressed-out, over-heated mother to deal with.

My favorite way of avoiding cooking is to sweetly ask my husband to grill burgers and hot dogs, which he happily does about once a week. This does not eliminate the slaving over the hot “stove” issue, but it allows someone else to share in the joy of it. J

 Seriously, though: my slow cooker probably gets more use during the summer than during any other season of the year, and I use mine year-round! One of my favorite recipes—if you can call it that—is to dump a pork roast in the crock pot, along with a bottle of barbecue sauce (which you can get for fifty cents—watch for sales at the grocery store), and let it cook on low all day. In the late afternoon the roast literally falls apart, and you can shred it right there in the slow cooker, dump some more BBQ sauce in, and you have barbeque sandwiches with almost zero effort. In place of the BBQ sauce, I have also been known to use a bottle of marinade—again, the kind that goes on sale for $1 that you can use a doubled coupon and get for free. Just let the roast cook all day in the marinade sauce, and voila: you have a nicely-flavored main dish with almost no effort! Lately I’ve been able to find boxes of mashed potatoes for $1 (which coupon down to free!), and microwaved mashed potatoes are a great side to make this a more formal meal.

I also use my slow cooker to brown hamburger meat, and frankly, I think this is one of the neatest things I’ve discovered since sliced bread was invented! I always burn myself when I’m frying hamburger meat on the stove-top, and that little problem is now a thing of the past at my house! Because I have a large family, I put 5-7 pounds of hamburger or sausage (or both) in my big crock pot, break up the meat with a spatula, and cook on high. Every couple of hours or so, I walk by the kitchen, break up the meat again, and use my turkey baster to drain off the grease. After a morning in the crock pot, the meat is cooked, and I separate it into storage containers and pop the cooked meat into the freezer, where it is ready to contribute to spaghetti and other casserole dinners as needed. This is so easy, and it sets you up for being prepared for more than one night’s worth of cooking! You gotta love that!

 Think about all of the ways you can get more mileage out of your slow cooker this summer. Five minutes of preparation in the morning means that you can walk away while dinner cooks all day! (MariLee has written a great slow cooker recipe book if you need some new ideas! J) Besides, less time in the kitchen means more time for you to spend with your kids and on your entrepreneurial ventures, and that’s everyday economy!

Visit Dana’s site!

www.thestoryofyou.cceasy.com

Don’t forget to enter to win our Grand Prize Vacation Package!

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This summer I have been researching some new ways to earn extra money for vacations.  My favorite is the Garage Sale, as many of you know, but I also recently tried earning money by using Twitter. There is a program called “Sponsored Tweets” that I’ve been trying it for the last month or so. Now, you won’t get rich doing this, but you can definitely make some extra money to add to your vacation fund. Currently, the money I’m making from Sponsored Tweets is going straight to Starbucks! My weakness: Tall, non-fat, white chocolate mocha please. and a cup of ice water. (that’s my order every time!)

If you’d like to give it a try, click on the button below. Sign up using your twitter account and then set a bid about how much money you’ll accept for each tweet. I suggest starting under $2 and working up, depending on how many followers you have, etc.  Have fun tweeting!

**Today’s giveaway is for a $25 Gift Certificate to use with any of our Christian Businesses. Enter HERE!

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