Monday, January 31, 2011

Yikes!

**Update** (Do great minds think alike or what?)

Win a Washer & Dryer from Sears!

For every purchase of  a LEGACY OF CLEAN™ laundry care product (see the list below) or each time you shop at Sears, through Amway.com Partner Stores and Services (Make an account with www.WinkeySolutions.com or www.amway.com/winkeysolutions to make sure your purchase is entered!), you are automatically entered to WIN a Sears Kenmore® Front-Load Washing Machine and Electric Dryer – a $1,130.98 value! Sweepstakes begins at midnight ET on February 1, 2011, and ends at midnight ET on April 30, 2011. One entry per laundry product or One entry per purchase at Sears.

Eligible AMWAY™ products:

LEGACY OF CLEAN SA8®+BIOQUEST® Concentrated Detergent (10-7858 or 10-7856).
 LEGACY OF CLEAN Triple Liquid 3X Concentrate Laundry Detergent (10-7864, 10-7866, 10-7863, or 10-7865).
         LEGACY OF CLEAN Delicate Fine Fabric Detergent (10-7867).
         LEGACY OF CLEAN Fabric Softener (10-7872, 10-7870, 10-7871, or 10-7869).
·         LEGACY OF CLEAN PreWash (10-7875) OR (my personal favorite!!!) CLASSIC Laundry Prewash Spray Spot Treatment (111281).
          LEGACY OF CLEAN All Fabric Bleach (10-7873) .  

Good Luck! 

 **Original Post**
If your having a Laundry Dilemma, then check out an enjoyable read by Pat Johnson,  "Queen of Laundry, " on the Amway blog to see how she "Positively Cleans."

And just a little heads up, most of the blogs from today on thru April will be about "Green" or Earth friendly products.  I'm looking to put together a special bundle or a giveaway, so if you know someone who might be interested then let me know!

If you like to make your own laundry detergent, here is the link I posted on Facebook last week;

Interested in Making Your own detergent?

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Two steps FORWARD

Its amazing how I keep thinking I will have nothing to do and then the day hits me (sometimes the night before).  Even if I plan activities days ahead, the day comes and things change.  The Best Laid plans of Mice and Men...? Or is it I take Two steps forward, and one step back?  I guess it really depends on the day.  

Homeschooling is an adventure in and of itself.  Don't let it fool you - it will change you and your household in ways that you never thought it would.  For example, along with other scores of women for various reasons, I have a cycle of depression.  I don't let this stop me & I would encourage you to not let it overcome you.  Most of mine has to do with what occurred in previous marriages.  (Yes I have been married 5 times to be exact, only 3 were with the military, so given the current one I have Marines, Air Force, and Army covered!) They are echoes or residues to particular events that occurred, except for the individuals who reached out to me during these times, I mean those who spent time helping me overcome the situation, know parts of what I was going thru. 

It was hard to share or explain the feelings.  Each of these times included a pregnancy so I was highly hormonal if not somewhat imbalanced.  I didn't want to come off as such and I thought the best thing to do was hide my feelings.  I can tell you that outside of my loving & understanding husband, there is no one in my family who has a real clue what was going on.  Mostly because they are given to assumptions and quick temperaments.  When they saw an "event" going on in my life they didn't bother to find out more or choose to be in our lives, and so we have lost connection in this aspect.  I love them and accept them regardless.  I had to accept that they had a perception of things, most of which are emotional attachments of their own, and therefore those thing are more real to them than what actually went on in my life. 

On the other hand, I found "real" family.  These are those who reached out to me and showed me they really care - not just once a year, or when they were feeling in the mood to care - but when it was inconvenient to them.  For example, I was married to this one individual who convinced his command that that we weren't married, even though it took another 8 months to get a divorce,  and so I didn't get BAH (housing allowance).  I was home less with 4 kids (one of which was his) for a couple of weeks.  A couple of members from my church opened up their doors an helped us.  They have been there for me when I needed to cry and gave me a shoulder to cry on.  During those times there were those who drive by in the mornings to make sure I am ok.  They had no clue what I might need, but because they cared, they went out of their way to just do something small.  That something small meant so much to me and my family - and in the long run probably kept me from going crazy.  There were so many people I once knew that didn't want to "know" or be around such a scary situation - as if it would rub off of them and contaminate them as well.

What has this to do with homeschooling? Well I don't know about you but I have the kind of kids that can drive you crazy!.  I would volunteer them for demolition crews if I could.  However when I made the decision to pull them out of school, I made the decision to let them know I cared about them. I walked into the homes of homeschoolers and felt the love and the connection.  I truly felt that it was a formula for teaching what a real family was and getting them prepare to connect to their own families.  After all, it is during the times of our struggles that we define our family ties. 

The most surprising thing of it all, is that there is a sense of peace and less stress within the walls of my own home! How did this happen?  I don't know what it is exactly.  I fathom I'm too new at this to put the right words together.  I am simply amazed at the difference in my kids behavior, how it has uplifted me from depression, and how rewarding it has been to teach my family how to connect!

How are you teaching your family to connect?

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Sweet Febuary $25 giftcard

I must confess - I am not a big fan of Valentines Day.  Mostly because this is the one day that someone will choose to express their feelings and neglect the other 364 days.  I can appreciate this holiday... this is the time to look for Red decor :) and wait to the day after to get discounted chocolates or flowers.  Oh that's another one... I dislike getting flowers on THIS holiday... especially cut ones.  No worries if you have given them to me in the past, I truly appreciate the thought behind the gift.  Its just that you have given me a gift that I can not keep and will surely die.  Are you into symbology? Can you imagine what that symbolizes on the day of "Love"?

This holiday has probably influenced my dislike over cut roses as well.  Take me to a Rose Garden instead and I will be so much more the happier!Its strange and probably adds to my abnormality that I prefer simple flowers that are often overlooked but found in the wild.  Yes, I have found myself delighted over a bouquet of Carnations.  (On one occasion my husband and his group of guys from work kept a soldier working late on the night of his anniversary.  To make up for it, the guys pitched in for roses and personally delivered them to his wife.  My husband then came home with a bouquet of daisys for me! I was so touched that he remembered what I liked and thought of me!)

Whatever my feelings for this particular day, I fully support Love & Goodwill regardless of the day. I have very few memories of Valentine's Day myself.  Most of them were spent with friends (I often ended relationships right before the holiday, which thinking back might have been a bit mean).  Some of the best gifts I have received over the years was a Dean Koontz book, a DVD (I think Dumb & Dumber) with heart stickers all over it (I don't think that was the right movie might have been Bill & Teds Adventure, but I still remember the stickers & that the guy was an Ohio Buckeye fan), and my fave - a pedicure from my Bestest Sweetheart ever & endearing husband.  I have found that I prefer to eat out on a "romantic dinner" before or after the 14th because its always so crowded.  I have also wished they would carry on deals through the week instead of for just that one day so I could actually enjoy being out. I prefer off the main stream places Or ordering from Omaha Steaks a complete romantic dinner in the privacy of our home (One thing about me is that I am always burning things).
( Strawberry Decadence Gourmet Gift from FTD.com )

Share your thoughts or memories and on Feb 9th one of the comments will be selected for a $25 gift card for Your Loved One or for Yourself (Visa, Bestbuy, Amazon, Target, TicketMaster, Gap via My PerkStreet Rewards OR a RIBBON Gift Collection Card,  OR Your choice of $25 in chocolates/ flowers - from Winkeysolutions.com's Partner Stores FTD.com & Chocoholic.com). Remember they don't have to be associated with V-Day;

What are some of your favorite Romantic memories? What are some of the Gifts you LIKE to get OR Give? What treats do you like or don't like?  If you can make a day special for your loved one, a secret crush, a future someone, what would you like to do?  If this is a day All about you - What would make the day perfect for you?

Want extra entries? Refer this blog to your friends and have them post who sent you! If they make the entry on Facebook make sure they reference the blog to receive credit.