Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Horsin' Around #52

I have sick children at home which is why I am blogging away. I have to stay near them and quite frankly can not sit through one more round of Pinky Dinky Doo or Miss Spider (regardless of how much I love Miss Spider).

So as they are content to watch cartoons sipping lemon with honey and wrapped in their blankies...I am keeping busy within the scope of the family room and the kitchen.

By the time they get well (it has been a week already)...I will have probably posted a zillion blogs, have a spotless floor, clean cupboards and not a dish in the sink....yeah...well...ok, reality...probably just the blogs will get done, lol.

Anyway...look what I found!

Swing on by 5 Minutes for Mom and sign up to enter your "Best" photo. The theme is "horsing around". I've signed up, linked my blog and now here is my photo. In case you are wondering which twin it is :::: drumroll:::: it 's Skylar!


pa310071


Swing by and enter your best "horsing around" shot...tell them The IE Mommy sent ya!


Sex & Marriage? Yes, they go together!

Ladies, I have just found out about two super fun challenges going on in honor of Valentine's Day. Now as much as I love all you single women out there...these challenges are for the married ladies ONLY!

Check it out...could add a little spice to your "gift" this year!

Click on either button to learn more about the challenges. Remember ladies, these don't have to be done only for Valentine's day...what a great anniversary, birthday or just any time idea.



Wordless Wednesday


Love this idea! It was something I did back on the Mom Squad at Inland Empire Family Magazine. I ran across the idea again and thought I'd join the fun!

Wordless Wednesday....a day where we let a picture speak for us.

This is one of my current favorite pictures. Each year at Christmas we have a "White Elephant" gift exchange. This year, like last year, the twins were so excited about their "gift" that they didn't want to exchange them at all...in fact Skylar loved her hat so much she wore it the entire day AND had uncle (the one who brought that White Elephant gift) find another one for sister!

Check out more Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Spotlight on "The Sassy Chic Shop"

Every now and then you run across a business or person that is so extra ordinary that you really need to stand up and applaud them. I am 100% behind mom run businesses. Whether you have a store front, eBay site, on-line site or work from home. My hats off to you !

In this train of thought I'd like to present to you our first "Spotlight Site". In each spotlight I will provide you with an interview, site review and product review. I hope you'll join me in visiting these sites and supporting them with our business.



The Sassy Chic Shop is owned by Katie Newman. She is a fantastic person, with great taste for the unique, classy and different. I had the opportunity to ask Katie a couple of questions during a recent interview.

Katie, when did you start your business?
I started working from home on the internet several years ago but The Sassy Chic Shop is a new boutique that just opened.


What was the inspiration behind starting your business?
My inspiration for starting this shop was my love for all things girly and fun! I love unique jewelry, funky purses and other fabulous accessories

Tell us a little about yourself and your family?
I am happily married to a wonderful hubby. I have two beautiful children. One is about to become a teenager and the other one is six. We also have three dogs and we live in a suburb of Houston, Texas.

What is your favorite thing(s) about your business?
My favorite thing about my business is choosing the items to sell. I love seeking out unique pieces that I don't think you can find just anywhere. I also love being able to work at midnight if I want!

I hear you have a special promotion ONLY for IE Mommy readers?
Yes, IE Mommy readers can recieve a 15% discount on any purchase at Sassy Chic; just email me first.




SITE REVIEW:
When you first visit The Sassy Chic Shop you can not help but notice the adorable boutique style motif of the site. Visually, it has a very pleasant decor with a bit of spunk and style and a lot of class. You are not overwhelmed by flash when you first enter. You can find everything from pet supplies to jewelry and fashion. There is a lot to look at and to browse through. My favorite site page was the Sassy Chic Queen. Needless to say I fell in love with the Crown tote and the Sassy Queen broach. I found the site easy to manage, well organized and well formatted. The contact pager and the feedback page were an added bonus for the consumer. Overall Grade: A




PRODUCT REVIEW:
Silver Pray Stackable Bracelet
Price: $11.95 (Sale $7.95)
This bracelet was a great find. Silvertone strechable braclet engraved with the word "pray" around the entire bracelet and accented with a filigree style design. I favored this product because 1) it was affordable 2) it was stylish 3) It was stretchable to fit any size wrist and 4) It reminded of something valuable to do daily..."pray". It arrived sweetly packaged in a light pink organza bag. Perfect and ready for gift giving.
Overall Grade: A





IE MOMMY Says:

I would definitely keep this bracelet and The Sassy Chic Shop in mind the next time I need a birthday gift. The items were so unique and prices were very affordable. I spent some time browsing and dreaming while at her site. Plus the 15% off discount makes a lot of items v-e-r-y tempting. Swing by and enjoy shopping.





P.S. If you know of a mom-owned business that you'd like to see in the spotlight. Email me at theiemommy (at) gmail DOT com.

Monday, February 2, 2009

An Interview with Kirk Cameron of Fire Proof

The world was hit by an incredible bolt of lightening recently and unless you've been under a rock then you have heard about it. It was FIREPROOF starring Kirk Cameron.

To say that this movie is a regular story about marriage would be an understatement (in the very least). FireProof will speak to any one that is married or single. It is an amazing example of how easily we can forget what is truly important in life.

My husband and I are honored to be hosting a showing of Fireproof in our home in about a week...so I was very excited to find this interviewed podcast with Kirk Cameron. For those of you who aren't aware of the movie take a look at this trailer:




While Kirk Cameron grew up during his role as Mike Seaver in Growing Pains it as a man of God that he has truly found his calling. I have to admit I wasn't much a Growing Pains fan. At the time Growing Pains was aired I was a little too old to be interested in pubescent sitcoms. None the less I was aware of Kirk and his fame. But when I saw this movie with my husband I was blown away...there stood before a man that was truly demonstrating his convictions and relationship with Christ. I knew that he had accomplished great work with the Left Behind Series and The Way of the Master but I wasn't prepared for the impact this movie would have on myself or other viewers.


Since viewing the film I have since purchased the Love Dare book and Still Growing which is an autobiography written by Kirk Cameron. I was not disappointed in what I read. I truly believe this is a man and woman sold for Jesus. What a testimony for those of us who struggle to stand up for our faith in our own little world and for those of us who struggle within our marriage (and if you are honest, you probably have been both of those people at sometime in your life)

Take a moment to list to this interview from 5 Minutes for Mom. It is wonderful to hear his voice, heart and soul regarding the movie, his family and his Lord.

FireProof Interview with Kirk Cameron [8:43m]: Hide Player Play in Popup Download

The DVD was realeased on January 27th. As Kirk mentions it would be a perfect gift for someone you love at Valentine's Day.




















Sunday, February 1, 2009

Kurt Warner...

I don't know if you have ever heard this story but I thought it was most fitting consider he is playing in today's Super Bowl XLIII

and so the story goes....

KURTIS THE STOCK BOY & BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call.

As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA.

He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed.

Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary --- he had a different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona, where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has also been the NLF's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.

Yep, Kurt Warner is a Most Special Man...



Superbowl Sunday


Ok, I am not going to even pretend to know a thing about football. Yes, I know the basics but when refs start throwing colored flags and the quarterbacks and coaches call out plays...well, I'm lost! I don't know the difference between a first down or a first and ten.

But here is what I do know:
  • I love my husband and if he wants to watch football today on Superbowl Sunday we are going to watch football (...I might be looking at a magazine...just a wee bit!)

  • I know the Steelers are playing against the Cardinals

  • I know "our" team is the Cardinals.

  • I know Kurt Warner plays for the Cardinals and he is a Christian

  • I know "they" thought Kurt was "dried up" as a player and he's proven them wrong (again)

  • I know if you go to About.com you can learn all about football terminology.

  • I know that if you go to the official NFL site...you could impress your man with some great trivia, highlights or information on the game.

  • I know that it is Superbowl XLIII

  • and most importantly I know that as a wife...this is a day I can give him without arguments, chores or fighting for the remote.

    So to my wonderful hubby....
    "Todd, enjoy it love...you deserve the day off"