Linky love and Random Thoughts...

• I posted a new giveaway over at my review blog.  Seriously, you could win!  Odds are good!
• I tweeted about a real estate agent carrying her dog while showing houses on House Hunters last night.  I now have around 10 new followers, all Real Estate Agents.  I'm not looking for a house...Seriously.
• We're going to see Brittany Spears Saturday Sunday (we being my girls, my sil and I).  I'm not sure how I feel about this, other than thank goodness they were free tickets or we wouldn't be going.  We are also going to Ikea, which I have never been to.  I'm excited about that!
• My husband is coming home in the next 60 days.  At last.  And we go to Disney just after that.  YAY!
• I forgot to adjust my alarm for school time, then slept through it when it did go off.  That meant that I woke up as we were supposed to be leaving the house.  I still managed to get everyone to school on time, and I am showered and dressed appropriately.  I had to buy lunch, and I was 30 min late, but all in all I'm good.

Business Card Giveaway!

If you've never visited Schmutzie, you're missing out. Someday I'll get around to updating my blogroll (or getting rid of it entirely...lol) and add her (you know, since she's every where else on my lists...lol.) But until tomorrow night, she's hosting a giveaway.

From her blog:

UPrinting, a company with over 25 years of experience in business card printing, asked me if I would like to offer up 1000 free business cards to my readers, and I kind of had to say yes, because I have a thing for business cards. They are such great little means of introduction, and they have the potential to be really freaking cool.

So if you could use a few business cards, or even just have a stationery fetish like myself, head over and participate!

Giveaway alert!

Kerri over at lovely little handmades is hosting her first giveaway.  She's giving away a japanese charm pack...they are SOOOOO cute.  I can just imagine the projects I could  create...it could be hard to choose!  I've enjoyed stalking her work on Flickr through the Sew, Mama, Sew group, and her blog is just as tasty.  You should go visit.

Who wants a freebie?

I was directed to this site for Freebies by Jenn.  It's awesome.  I've gotten laundry detergent, granola bars, snacks and who knows what else.  I check it almost daily.  Cause after all, who doesn't love Freebies?  Also, something in the mailbox other than bills and junk mail?  That's awesome.

I love Kirtsy

A month or so ago, a little site called Kirtsy held a contest.  A contest about video games called kirtsy hearts video games week!  I commented about my favorite video game, and promptly forgot about.  Until a few weeks later, when I happened upon the contest page for their new contest.  And then I remembered to check the winners of the first one.  But they weren't posted yet.

The next day, I opened my email, and to my surprise, I won.  I couldn't believe it.  Both of my girls and my husband have DS's, and I sometimes grab time with them, but now I have my own.  I'm so excited.  And I've been eyeing Brain Age 2 since it came out.  And yesterday I came home to a box on my porch.  I opened it up, put it on to charge, and just before bed I played it for the first time.  I love it.  There's a training mode that is music, and it's so much fun.  Of course, I have a really bad Brain Age, but that's going to change soon.

I love video and computer games.  I have since I was a young child playing Atari.  I can waste hours playing games online.  Now I can waste hours other places, too!

What video games do you like?

Creatively finding time for Creativity

Blogher is currently hosting a Creativity for Kids Giveaway.  In their words, they want to know:

What are you doing to inspire creativity in your kids? Have you successfully engaged your child in activities that don’t involve a plug, remote, or console? Would you like to?

BlogHer has joined with Creativity for Kids (www.creativityforkids.com) to explore the question and are mining the Parenting Blog community for inspiring ways that you have weaned your kids from TV, the computer, video games, and encouraged them to play—and create—in an unwired, offline world.

Creative time is very important to me.  Creating things provides me with the down time I need in this hectic life.  But with three busy kids, a hubby that is gone a lot, and a full time job, finding the time ad energy for me to be creative is hard.  Finding time, energy and patience to be creative with the kids?  It can be almost impossible. 

When we purchased this house several years ago, a "craft area" was a necessity for me.  All I really needed was the space, and I knew I could transform it into something that would suit us.  Half of our finished basement serves as this area.  There were already cabinets and a countertop installed in one corner, remnants from the previous owners remodel of the kitchen.  These cabinets hold the craft kits that my kids receive for birthdays and holidays.  They are low to the ground, and I try to put things in so they can be found.  Up above is my area, with all my stamping and scrapbooking supplies. In various storage areas nearby, there are drawers with glue, glitter glue, markers, crayons, puff balls, chenille stems, construtction paper, stickers, and other items to encourage creativity.  My sewing area is here as well, and all of my children work on a sewing project with me several times a year.

When the older two have birthday parties to attend, we try to think of fun things we can create for the birthday child.  We've made journals and totes among other things. For Christmas, we choose something and create them for every member of the family.  Last year, Bug and I created snowman earrings, necklaces, and bracelets with a sewn pouch for all the females, and drawstring bags for the males.

The Monster has a wonderful imagination, and when he begins telling me stories, I go along with them.  I ask questions that challenge him to add details.  I only wish that I could remember them to write them all down later.  Usually, these stories take place when I'm driving.
All three know exactly where all the supplies are, and they know they can go and create anytime they feel the need.  When we are home for the day, I limit the screen time, and the rest of the time they are required to go outside, play games, craft, or otherwise entertain themselves. 

Ultimately, I hope that my kids grow up knowing that they can create anything they put their minds to creating, and that they find the joy in that process.

WOW!

Several years ago, my husband purchased or won a cool CD...WOW 2000. It was a compilation of Christian Rock/Pop songs, and I totally enjoyed it (still do.)

There's a new compilation CD out of Christian Rock/Pop artists, and Rocks in My Dryer is hosting an awesome giveaway over on her blog. Not only will 20 people get the new WOW1 CD (www.WOWonline.com), but they'll get a CD from each of the artists showcased. That's a lot of CD's. I'm off to post my name now!

He'll always be my Valentine

Heather at OMSH is having superfab give away from Shannon of It's A Mad Mad Squirrels World. They want us to tell them how we met our Valentines.

I was living here in the Mid-Atlantic region after graduating college and (stupidly) following a boy here. That didn't work out, so I moved in with my father to save up some money and wait for bestest friend to graduate so we could move on. It was my nephew's birthday, and my stepmom was having his birthday party at a local kids play place. Hubby was the room helper for his party, and he knew my nephews mom. He thought I was "cute" but I was holding a baby (my niece) and had a ring on my finger (to keep guys from bothering me). I thought he was cute, but he was talking about his daughter, so I assumed he was married. Somehow, he finds out that I'm not married, engaged or otherwise involved, and asks her for my number. She makes sure she tells me that he is divorced and has custody of his daughter. He calls and asks me to go out, and I agree as friends. I'm not planning on staying in the area and I'm not looking for a boyfriend. A few weeks later, I meet his adorable daughter. Her and my nephew hit it off, so they come over often. We're going out, enjoying each other's company. Then he buys me a ring for Valentine's Day. Just a ring, a pretty sapphire ring. Except late that night, he looks over and says "Marry Me." I said "Yeah, right...are you serious?." "Yes, I am." Oh..."uhm...yes."

And 8 months later we were married. I always tease him that I fell in love with Bug, and he was just the baggage that came along. But he knows, I couldn't live without him. I feel lucky every day to have found my mate, my other half, my Valentine.