Thankful - Day 2

After watching the continuing coverage of the devastation from Superstorm Sandy, it makes me so thankful for the things I take for granted everyday.

My house.

Electricity.

Water.

Food.

Heat.

Gas.

What would I do without those things? How would I maintain control over my kids without directing them after school to the computer or tv? How would I make a dinner without the handy, dandy microwave? Of course, we can live without these things, but they do make life so much easier. And I'm so thankful for them!

Source: Uploaded by user via Meredith on Pinterest

Thankful - Day 1

October was a very busy month for me. Not that November or December is going to slow down or anything, but I thought I would at least explain why I dropped off the face of the earth! Even though I was crazy busy during October, in some sadistic way, I was grateful for all the things I was a part of.

Source: via Meredith on Pinterest

The middle of October in my town is the International Homes Furniture Market..a really big deal! It's the twice a year job that I work for 5 or 6 days and the one thing that ties me to my original college degree. I enjoy the opportunity to get dressed up and act like a real person...but I don't enjoy it so much that I would want to do it all the time. I'm just very lucky that I'm able to work for a wonderful husband and wife in the same showroom, so I know what I'm doing and what I'm talking about and with wonderful people. Blessed!

October also happened to be a very busy time at school. As I might have mentioned, I'm the PTA Vice-President this year, so a lot has been stacked on my plate and I'm trying very hard to keep up with everything. There are constant emails, things to approve, meetings to attend, it's constant. 

Last year, our PTA had applied for a grant and received it based on having a Multi-Cultural Fair at our school. It had to be held by the end of October of this year. We have over 25 different countries represented in our school and have always had a hard time getting the families of these different countries to participate, so we thought this would be a good opportunity to give these families a little exposure. This took A LOT of work of many people's parts and the week leading up to the event was absolute madness! But the end result was wonderful.

As you can see, some of these creations are just incredible. This is a pagoda that one of our Chinese teachers made with the help of some students, completely out of recycled items. So creative!

Immediately after this event, we had a massive Landscaping Day at school. I'm not a gardener, but I did my best. I dug up hydrangeas, dug holes, planted things, emptied wheelbarrows full of limbs and trash...anything I could do.

And as the month has gone, as soon as my body starts to recover, here come Halloween and we have to walk around the neighborhood to gather candy.

The puppy and I feel the same way..we are tired!

Bows-n-Ties

Tomoson gave me the opportunity to review a great tie from Bows-n-Ties. This is a great website that has ties listed by color, for men, as well as for kids.  They also have accessories, such as handkerchiefs, cuff links, and scarves. Also included on the website are instructions on how to tie a tie..which is what I would need if my husband wasn't around!

 This is the tie I received...the Silk Dot in Wine Red Tie. It is designed by Cavallieri and made from pure silk. The color will easily go with anything. My husband does not have to wear ties to work that often, but the beauty of this color tie is that he can wear it with a white, blue, or striped shirt with no issues. 

This seems like a great company and with prices at $25/tie, I would definitely be willing to buy from them. These ties usually retail on other websites between $50-60, so it seems like a good deal. Each tie is handmade from the finest Jacquard woven silk. Bows-n-Ties are able to keep their prices low because they do not have a brick and mortar store. They import directly and there are no middle men and their overhead is low.

If you are in the market for ties for the holidays, but sure to give Bows-n-Ties a look!

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.

Medication Discount Card

I had never heard of this before and was slightly doubting of whether or not I would actually save any money. But thanks to Tomoson, they gave me the opportunity to review Medication Discount Card. 

This card can be used in place of insurance at places like CVS, Wal-Mart and Walgreens for drugs like Adderall, Advair, Ativan, Augmentin, and Avandia...and those are just the A's! Many of those drugs are brand name prescriptions on my insurance and I have to pay as much as $60, but with the medication discount card, I can save as much as 75% off. With prescription costs the way they are now, I'm thankful for any discounts!

There is no application, no health restrictions, no fees and the card will never expire. Just go to their website and download the card, print it off and take it to one of the 59,000 participating pharmacies. 

*Remember, this is not insurance and cannot be used to reduce your copay. It can, however, be used in place of your insurance or for drugs/vitamins that your insurance might not cover. 

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.

Halloween Printable Party & Games Pack

I was given the opportunity to review the Halloween Printable Party & Games Pack recently and it came just in time. My kids were out of school today for a teacher workday and these printable games were exactly what they needed to keep them busy while waiting for the time to go trick or treating. I have done many reviews for Python Printable Games and as always, the Printable Halloween Games  did not disappoint.

There are 40 printable activities, including party games, trivia, and craft activities. All ages are included in the activities which is great because the parents can have their games and the kids can have theirs.

Some of the fun titles of the games are Twisted Horror Movie Titles, Charades Monster Mash-Up, Chew On This Candy Name Game Trivia, Crossword Puzzles, Mad Libs, Fun Quizzes for Halloween, Gross Cooties Trivia, Mazes, Tongue Twisters, Trick or Treat Trivia Game, and Word Searches.

The games are suitable for any age and taste. There are no time restrictions or limits of any kind. The games can be kept forever and used over and over.

Right now, you can enter the code MYSTY to get a discount on your next printable game pack. The discount amount changes daily, so be sure you check it out for their Printable Fall and Thanksgiving Game Pack.

These printable games are definitely a great idea when kids are home and families are gathered around. It brings you together and helps you laugh, so try it out!

*This is a sponsored post. I received the Halloween Printable Games pack for free in return for this review. All opinions are my own and are in no way determined by the fact I received the games for free. I would like to thank Python Printable Games for this opportunity.
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.

Easy to Love but Hard to Raise Review

"There are many books about children who live in the world of alphabet soup-the world of ADHD, SPD, PBD, OCD, PDD and other combinations-but there hasn't been a book about their parents. I'm glad there is one now."

If you have a child that's been diagnosed with anything at all, or even if it might be suspected that your child could have one of these diagnoses, this is the book you need.

Easy to Love but Hard to Raise is one of the best books I have ever read. Whether you want to call it a "parenting" book or a book for special needs parents, this book covers all the bases. 32 parents and 15 experts have written their stories from first hand experience. In my opinion, that is what makes this book so great! Every parent think they are the only ones going through whatever they are going through. It helps so much to know you are not alone, to commiserate with others going through the same thing, maybe even find someone who is going through something more difficult, and to give you hope that things can get better. The humor in the stories are what gives you the feeling that you are just in a coffee shop, talking to a friend...except most parents with ETL (Easy to Love) kids don't have many friends that understand what we're going through. Yet another reason why this book is such a blessing!

Some of my favorite stories:

• Finding My Way, by Lorraine Wilde: She talks about raising her twin boy...5 years old; about having read book after book, trying to find answers. My favorite line in her story is about signing up "for therapies like they're intramural sports" ...because it does feel like that sometimes!
• My Dance with the Devil, by Laura Boss: She has an 11 year old, just like me...and just like my son, her son starts the morning with his daily dose of Concerta. None of us imagine this life when we're pregnant, trying to eat healthy, get some exercise, read all the books about babies and parenting. We have dreams of our child, what they will do with their life and in some ways, those dreams are dashed by a simple, yet complicated diagnosis. Sometimes we might wonder, "Why is he so unhappy?" "What am I doing wrong?" Laura Boss has those same thoughts and feelings and explains it in great, emotional detail. She tells about the diet changes, behavioral programs, discipline techniques, rewards, punishments...everything that we've all tried. Her son felt defeated in school, like there was nothing he could do right...raise of hands, how many of us have heard that from our kids! We all have heard it, but it still breaks our heart. Like many parents, Laura did not want to use medication. But after trying every possible thing, she eventually tried a small dose. Amazingly, her son was completely transformed. This story re-iterates the point...medicine is not for every child. But for some children (like my son!), it can work wonders! As Laura said, "dealing with ADHD, we've learned, is a long, arduous, multi-pronged process, and medication is only a part of it."
• Seeing Emma, by Penny Williams: the story touches my heart because it is about the affect a sibling with a special need...even if it is just ADHD. A child with ADHD requires mom and dad spend more time trying to help their child...but what if there's another child without a disorder? I have one of those too..actually, I have two! My oldest is my daughter...and at 15, she's gone through most of her life giving up restaurants, movies, parties, and having mom show up to anything at night because her brother can't handle it. Emma, Penny Williams middle-school daughter, is going through the same thing. She's an athlete, yet she feels invisible beside her brother. It's these types of stories that you silently nod your head because you completely understand what is being said. It's not that there's an answer or a lesson to learn...it's just that you are not alone!
• Handle with Care, by Mary Greene: By far, this story was the most heart wrenching. Mary and her husband adopted not just one, but two children, siblings, from an orphanage in Russia. They later learned about the various disorders that her new son suffered from. She readily admits, that parenting him is not easy. They have to spend much more time and money just keeping him within reasonable limits. They are committed to their children, but that doesn't ease the pain they feel on giving up the idealistic view of parenthood we all once had. But no matter how bad the situation with your child is in one given moment, we all also experience the joy of learning something from our child...the simple realization a child has when they can figure something out on their own, when they say "I love you" or any other accomplishment these kids can be praised for. The financial cost is truly a burden  as Mary explains..but most of us experience the same issue. Too many times, we have to divert money from a holiday, a special treat, or something for another child to pay for medicine, therapies and doctor appointments. It is not fair, but it is something we know we have to do. All we silently wish in return is that there will be some improvement...anything to show us that all of this effort is worthwhile!
• After almost every story, and a special section in the back of the book, there are Question & Answer sections. These mostly related to the previous story, but it's always good to hear advice from an "expert."
• At the end of the book is an entire section on where to get more information...from websites, to blogs, to community organizations. If you are like me, you will try anything, ask anyone you can for help. 

Easy to Love but Hard to Raise is a can't miss read. There are stories to make you cry, make you laugh, and ones you want to share. If you want to learn more about the book, check out their website - Easy to Love but Hard to Raise. They also have a great Facebook group - Easy to Love but Hard to Raise. Here you can actually ask questions, look for answers, and just talk to other parents going through this same journey. Isn't it great to know we're not alone?

The writers of Easy to Love but Hard to Raise are graciously allowing me to give away a copy of this wonderful book. If you are interested, leave a comment sharing a story about your ETL child. I promise, this is a book you don't want to miss out on!

Halloween Decorations

I finally have finished decorating my house for Halloween. Some of my decorations are very old and some are brand new. But I never put things in the same place as they were the previous year...just to mix things up, I move them around.

One of my kids favorites...a light up stack of pumpkins

A scarecrow nutcracker...don't see that everyday!

These are actually 2 separate pumpkins, but I like them stacked, I think!

This is duplicated on the other side...with a leaf garland, pumpkins and other harvest vegetables and little tins that are fall colors (found in the $1 section at Target last year!)

My last door hanger got mildewed, even though we have a glass storm door. Went with wood this year.

Fake flowers...because I kill flowers that are real!

Just fun stuff that the kids like. That one vase was handpainted by my daughter years ago and is very special to us!

So now that all the Halloween decorations are out, I want to move furniture around. Do you ever do that when the seasons change?

Vintage Halloween

If you really want to see some creepy, scary Halloween images, do a search on "vintage Halloween!"

What are these? Cabbage heads? Creepy!!

little pumpkin head vandals!!

um, what's in his hand? And why are there pumpkins floating?

so, are they saying if you see a black cat, a green moon, and hear a witch scream that you'll lose your lover??

I don't know...costumes? yard decorations? You tell me!

is that his tooth in the side of that swinging apple?

Source: imgur.com via Meredith on Pinterest

My favorite..."I got a rock"

Source: strongstufftom.blogspot.com via Meredith on Pinterest

the moon has a double chin...strange!

Source: flickriver.com via Meredith on Pinterest

Fall with Etsy

The Hubs brought my Halloween box up from the basement so I could decorate for fall. Here are some great ideas from Etsy...

Source: etsy.com via Meredith on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Meredith on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Meredith on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Meredith on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Meredith on Pinterest

Maybe I need to make a Fall Treasury List!

The Challenge of Boys...

So my boys...Ethan is 11, Jonah is 8. Jonah is just your typical ordinary boy. Ethan has autism, ADHD, SPD, and other stuff. They have always been challenging, whether it's their behavior or medical issues. But they have never been as challenging as they are right now!

Maybe it's the age? I don't know. I've never had boys this age before. 

When Ethan was 8 and in 3rd grade, he had his best year ever! After that, he regressed due to circumstances beyond his control and we're still trying to help him get back there. 

As far as Jonah is concerned, I'm just at a loss. 

I don't care so much about the boy humor, the potty jokes, etc. But what I don't like is the general disrespect and non-compliance.

Now, they'll apologize afterwards...they know I don't allow it. But they do it anyway. 

Are they testing to make sure limits are still there? Are they trying to see what punishments I will enforce without Daddy being home during the week? Are they just trying to wear me down until I don't care anymore? Because that's just about where I am....

Please, tell me I'm not alone!!!