He has to come eventually!

I cannot believe he's not here yet. My other two children both were due on the 5th and came on the 20th (the month before). This baby is just holding out. :-)

Anyway, in the meantime I wanted to post about the fact that I WON!

This is the second time I've won over at Bloggy Giveaways and I'm feeling pretty lucky. What did I win you ask?? A $50 gift certificate to Kangaroodle. Isn't that fun?

Oh man, my picture isn't working.

Well, anyway...I got my package in the mail today and I wanted to show you what I was able to get. :-)

Oh well. Here's the cutest thing I got - A Giggle Elephant!! My daughter is having a blast hanging out with "boingy" as she named him. They have some very different things in their store. Take a moment and check them out if you'd like.

Just wanted to share and to update you on my status of - no baby yet.
I'll let you know when he comes...

Vision Forum Giveaway

EDITED: I am re-submitting for a NEW giveaway that Life In A Shoe is having. This time the bar is raised & I get to choose up to $250 worth of items!!

Ok, I've had so many things on my mind I have wanted to blog about, but haven't had a chance to do it. Too many things pulling me in too many directions.

Yet, here I am blogging on yet another giveaway opportunity.

"Hello, my name is Mercy and I'm addicted to blogging giveaways."

This is the part where everyone goes: clap, clap, clap. "welcome Mercy"

But really though, I actually won ONE time and now I'm hooked!
(edited to say I have won twice. Sorry for the exaggeration there.)

I don't have the time to do this, but here goes...

I got my catalog in the mail & I remembered what Kim wrote on her blog here about if I post a wish list I could have the opportunity to WIN those items. And, well...who can pass that up?

The biggest problem is picking and keeping it under $150 NOW $250!! Can I do it?? Let's see...

So, here's my wishlist:
1. Passionate Housewives Desperate for God $16 (p6)
2. A Church in the House $12 (p21)
3.Culture Changers Video Curriculum $199 (p43)
4. Raising Maidens of Virtue $20 (p25)

Grand Total = $247

That was much harder than I thought it would be. EVEN HARDER THE SECOND TIME AROUND!!! I learned a lot though about what the Vision Forum has to offer. I certainly hope I win with all the coveting I had to do. ;-)

If you are interested in this opportunity, check it out over at Life In A Shoe.

I mean REALLY REALLY...

Life in a Shoe is hosting a giveaway of Vision Forum's exciting new adventure series, Ballantyne books.

Yes, I did already blog about this a long time ago. BUT, I really really really really really want to win.

Did I mention I want to win?

(I re-did it to make sure I had entered correctly, because I don't want to miss out!)

In case you're wondering where I've been...

Here's my new homeschool blog. My mind has just been really set upon getting prepared for our schooling right now. From there, I'll probably get into "baby mode" soon. There are just a lot of exciting things happening around here. :-D

Have a great day!!

Call me a sucker if you'd like, but...

I just won another giveaway!!!!

Honestly, it just sort of happened. I promised myself I was done, but then Shannon from Rocks In My Dryer started this really happening Giveaway Blog. The entire blog is dedicated to giving stuff away!! And, I got something. Yep. My name was drawn for this. It's sort of a game hookup type thingy that somehow attaches to your computer. Some of the games look like a lot of fun. Although I must say, spongebob will not be entering my house. We really aren't gamers around here, but this will be a very nice Christmas present for a little 7 year old boy who lives in this very home. Shh, just don't tell him. I even let him look at it as if we were just checking it out and I have a feeling he won't be disappointed when he opens it on Christmas morning.

If you happen to have a product you'd be willing to giveaway, let her know.

Either way, head on over there and check it out. Be sure not to drool too much when you see what I won.

And just to make me a really big sucker I'm going to let you know about a blog owner who is planning to give away $2500! Sorry all my blog friends for selling my blog out to every contest there is, but hey, I'm having fun!! And with all the luck I've had lately, I just thought I'd go for a big one.

I shamelessly end with this:
Over at Ashwin’s blog, you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!

I could quit anytime. I don't have a problem...really.

Giveaways Galore!!

For anyone who just isn't "in the know" about what is happening out in bloggyland. (How anyone couldn't notice, I'm not sure, but...)

You are really missing out!

There are so many chances to win right now. Even I may have a chance to win something here. After spending hours and visiting hundreds of blogs typing in my comments, I really should to win something, right??

Oh, I haven't told you where to go yet. Head over to Shannon's place for her brilliant idea of a collection of giveaways called Dog Days Of Summer Bloggy Giveaway!!

And, if you're wondering why I haven't given back to the cause and I'm just being a mooch...I really don't have any good answers. I do have an excuse and I'll tell you just to make you happy. I just didn't get anything organized in time. How's that for you?

Oh well, enjoy. I just like to share the love. That's my sacrifice in the whole bloggy giveaway. I'm lessening MY chances to win. Just don't go to any of those organizing places, like Marcia's or Organizing Junkie's because as I already stated, I need some help there!

Oh my, another chance!

Go here and enter ANOTHER contest to win the same books.
This is for all TEN!

You need to hurry though. The deadline is 3pm tomorrow!

What are you waiting for?
Head over to Biblical Womanhood before it's too late!!

Contest

What can I say, I'm a sucker!

Kim at Life In A Shoe having a contest - click here and enter to win some FREE BOOKS!!

She's giving away 10 Ballantyne books and she's already given out the first one. I didn't win (yet - there's still hope here!) , but these books look like great boys books. Which are very hard to come by. Oh, and if you put a link at your own blog, you have a chance to WIN ALL 10 TITLES!!

Good luck!

[Edited to give you a glimse of the books from the Vision Forum.]

Breaking Free From Computer Addiction!

I'm not sure how to put this into writing, but I will try.

I've been off of the computer for an entire week. It has been a completely different week! It all just sort of happened so I wasn't able to really post to tell you all. I am planning to do the same this week. I will continue to check in every so often with a little note of what's on my mind. Isn't that really what blogs are all about? :-D

So, the benefits of not having a computer...

I have without a doubt spent more quality time with my children. That has been the biggest change that I have noticed. Before they seemed to be put in some ways on the wayside. Oh yeah, I would make sure I'd get the list checked off of everything I needed "to do" with them. And I would (especially if I wasn't on the computer) stop what I was doing to give them a hug, etc. But, what I have experienced this week has been wonderful! And I know my children think the same. We spent more time enjoying each other. I even got some exercise by jumping on the trampoline with them, which feels soo great!

Things were not perfect this week. I did not accomplish as many chores as I would have like to. I had a bit of an emotional problem. You know, hormones kick in and you go from feeling sad to happy in 2 seconds flat. So, that kind of threw me for a bit of a loop. Plus, it was just different. I found myself for the first few days whenever I got a break during my day, I would head for the computer. Thankfully in that moment, I didn't have to choose. My husband had the mouse. :-D I just would plop down with my babies and read or I would organize a project.

Besides the TIME I redeemed by making this decision, I also found my FOCUS was redeemed. I was able to spend my thoughts on "making my home." Not just on learning, or researching or whatever it is I'm doing online all the time. It seems like many times I'm trying to solve all my problems without working them out for myself personally. What I mean by that is reading & reading can only get you so far. You have meditate on what EXACTLY would work for YOUR home.

Then DO it.

I was able to do that this week without distraction!

I know not everyone out there has this terrible addiction to the computer as I do. But, I'm sure I'm not the only one. And, this week has been refreshing!! For me it seems to go in waves. I will have no problem staying off of them computer for awhile, but when I do get on, it seems difficult to get off. Even if I'm not on, I'm running back and forth to just check on something "real quick". But, adding the time up, it consumes more of the day than I'd like. I am so thankful that my husband has been willing to not look down on me in this area, but that we could work it out in laughter. :-D

If you struggle like I have in this area, you may want to try this option. Another option that I have tried in the past that does cut down on the amount of time you spend is putting the computer up higher on a shelf or something of that kind, so that you are forced to stand while working on it. Try it. It really does help. I found that since I was already in "action mode" I was pulled away from the computer a lot easier. There have been times I have thrown my arms up as I cried saying that I just wanted to throw the stupid thing out. When my husband first heard me say this he was very defensive, but he has come to see the damage that can be done if we allow it to rule our lives in any way.

I wish I could say that I am strong enough to "just say no", but it is a struggle for me.

Thankfully I have found a solution.

Maybe a little strange to some, but hey, whatever works!

I am alive.

Been visiting my mom in the hospital, catching up on homeschool, taming my laundry beast.



And, I had an issue with a mouse. Eeek!

No, not that type of mouse. :o)



My husband jokingly in the beginning of the week took my computer mouse. I kind of got huffy & he through it back to me. He was implying that I've been on the computer too much. Well, as usual he's right. Since I've been blogging, I tend to just get on "real quick" to check my messages, but then it leads to another thing and you all know how that goes. So, then Wednesday as he was driving away, I ran out & threw the mouse in his truck. We laughed and he keep it all day and well, we were busy Wednesday night so I didn't get it back then, so he kept it all day yesterday too. It has truly been very refreshing. And, I think I did get some things done while I was "on vacation". Not as much as I was hoping, but I have been away with my mom & that type of thing can zap your energy real quick. I'm thinking of taking a day or so each week completely off the computer...we'll see.



Anyway, I just thought I'd check in to say -


I am still alive!

Computer Issues

Maybe it's because I haven't had my HMB (or my homekeeping Journal Notebook) together lately or maybe it's because I have moved the computer into the livingroom where I see it all the time, but I've been on this thing WAY too much lately!! All it takes is a simple check of my email and then all of a sudden 3 hours has passed. UGH! It's like a book that never ends and for those of us that have difficulties with self-discipline, we need something dramatic to keep us on track. I have off and on times. Right now (and since Jan) it's been a bit of an "off" time in my life. Bear with me here on this blog until I get myself together. And, I promise it will happen. :-D Thanks for checking in even when life is crazy around here.

Conquering Computer Land

I am so new to this blogging thing. Not to reading, oh no. But, well, reading doesn't take any special knowlege. And, truthfully I don't have the time or desire (unless it's spoon fed to me!) to become computer savy. So, for now, I'm sure that I'm taking all of the long roads, but hey, I type & it comes up on the screen. Pretty cool if you ask me! And, fun, if I do say so myself. :-D

My Insanity...

Let me first start off by saying, I began this blog to make it easier to link to other peoples blogs. I read them almost daily. After checking my regular blogs I came back to my blog & thought to myself, "I wonder if this one's written a post yet". DUH! It's MY blog.

That, I believe, is the definition of Insanity!