Soyphisticated Candles from my hometown- Mason City, Iowa!

OK~ Bet your wondering where you can purchase one of these awesome candles? Well, head on over to http://www.soyphisticatedcandles.com/home.html

These candles are made in my hometown: Mason City, Iowa. They are made of natural and renewable soy- and NO paraffin or beeswax. Now through Dec. 5th, Soyphisticated Candles is offering free shipping. Soyphisticated Candles also offers organic lotions, balms, and soap. Oh, and if you are looking for laundry soap, they also offer powder, bricks, and stain sticks. I am currently burning a beautiful aromatic soy candle, Alpine Snowdrift (love it)! This Mom loves the clean, burning candles that Soyphisticated Candles offers. So, if you are looking for a unique gift from Iowa- check it out! You will not regret your choice! Head on over to http://www.soyphisticatedcandles.com After All, It's All in A Mom's Day, Right?

The above post is based on my person experience and opinion. I did not receive any compensation to post this.

Seriously- How to stay sane during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Ok~ This Mom has played the game of let's do "it all" during the Christmas Season. Now that I am 43 years old and my boys are 18 and 14, this Mom says, "No More." Sure, there are some activities on the family calendar that are a Must. So, what MUST a family partake in:

• The Christmas music program at school
• The Sunday School program at church
• The rehearsals for these two events
• The occasional school band concert
• Collecting donations for your local food bank and delivering them

So, what can a family say "NO" to and NOT feel guilty? This is my list-

• A visit with Santa Claus at the Mall- (what parent wants to risk H1N1 this season)?
• Buying presents for ALL classmates (in today's economy, this Mom says, "NO WAY)!
• Attending community choral concerts
• Spending down time at the Mall (poor example to set for our kids)!

Short, but straight to the point lists. Why put yourself through any added hustle and bustle of the season? Christmas should be a time of reflection of the birth of the Christ Child. Not by how many places we can go, how many presents we can buy, or how much money we can spend? God needs to be first in our lives, and then followed by our families.

When we do put him first, everything else somehow manages to fall into place! I hear so many people complain about how they cannot enjoy Christmas- the answer is pretty simple- Say NO to extra "things." And, engage yourself and your family in the joy of the season- include the birth of Jesus Christ in your families activities this year! Try it, you just might like it! If you choose to participate in activities that have meaning for your whole family, you will say, "Thank You" to yourself on December 26th! After all, it's all in a Mom's Day, Right?

The 2009 AMA Awards- YIKES!

OK~ My 14 year old really, really wanted to see Green Day perform on the 2009 AMA Awards. I have to admit it- this 40 something Mom does like Green Day. The language in the songs is pretty dicey at times- BUT- I like their music! Of course, Green Day performed towards the end- and wouldn't you know it- Adam Lambert's performance was shortly after. I was thinking to myself- during his freaked out performance- Garrett why didn't you go to bed? I could not believe that something like that would even be allowed from the 7- 10 p.m. time frame. It's too bad that Taylor Swift was over seas and did not perform- she does put on a nice, clean cut show!

And I do wonder if anyone was actually paid any money to dress the women presenters and performers. Many of the dresses looked like those big, black contractor bags- and just a "tad" skimpy!

It appears to this Mom that many musicians could take a lesson or two from Taylor Swift- her music is clean, fun, and has a clear message! And furthermore, she seems to be selling music- just goes to show that award winning music does not have to be raunchy and disrespectful! So, what's a Mom to do? Next time a major music awards show comes up on a "standard" television network- switch over to Directv- There were many more cleaner opportunities for viewing during that time frame for my 14 year old son! In the grand scheme of the program itself, Green Day was one of the cleaner cut performances. After all, it's all in a Mom's Day, Right?

Appliances are out to get this Mom!!!!!

OK~ This Mom has had it! The appliances in my home are junk! My theory is to buy the cheapest appliance on the market, as in five years time most need to be replaced anyway. This Kenmore HE3 Elite Washer is what I currently own- Hate it- waste of money! And, of course I have the worthless clothes dryer to go with it, just four repair jobs in five years. Many repair jobs, along with the smell and noise that this machine puts out. I did approach a salesman at Sears about our washing machine, he told me that they know the machine I have is no good, but they have updated it. All he wanted to do was show me the updated version. Well, hello? This Mom did her homework when she purchased this one, it was rated at the top in Consumer Reports! Not buying a HE3 Kenmore Elite, again!

Now, onto our furnace, which is five years old. We have had three service calls in five years. Yep, and another call in order tomorrow. And, of course, we bought a name brand, top of the line furnace. Again, I swear we would be money ahead purchasing a lesser known brand and going at it with the attitude, in five years time, it will probably need to be replaced. I seriously do not see the value of paying more for so called "quality." In the grand scheme of things, I do see this as job security for the repair man that will show up at our home tomorrow. I guess, there is a bright side to all of this!

The irony of all of this- Before this new furnace- the previous furnace in the home was 55 years old. We knew we would have to update it when we moved in, but did not realize that less would be better. We could have purchased a less expensive furnace that still functioned at a great rate in the world of today's furnace ratings. A little side note, the 55 year old furnace had been serviced yearly and had not had a service call, or any repairs, in 20+ years. This new one isn't anywhere near the quality that one was! Well, I guess, I take it all in stride! Hopefully when the dishwasher goes- it is five years old- I'll be home to catch all of that water!

Seriously, when shopping for new appliances, this Mom will look at price. If you gotta replace it in five years time; why fork over thousands of dollars, when you could fork over a few hundred? After All, it's All In A Mom's Day, Right?

This blog post is based on this Mom's opinion and experiences , just as all my other posts are.

This Mom does not want to join the 80% that deal with Food Borne Illness!

OK~ This Mom is ready for Thanksgiving! The turkey will be thawed appropriately and the knives will be sharpened. I also promise to not break off the knife inside the turkey, should I need to use a knife. I also promise to remove the liver, gizzards,and whatever else is inside the belly of this crazy bird! Yep, I have done all of the above and I swear to not experience this chaos for Thanksgiving 2009! I will be striving for a healthy, well prepared, Thanksgiving meal, unlike any other that I have prepared.

With all of the H1N1 illness out there, our family does not need to be exposed to a foodborne illness. The U.S. Departmentof Agriculture estimates that 80% of foodborne illnesses are linked to meat and poultry. This means, that it is mandatory, for you to properly handle all meats and poultry during this Thanksgiving season.

NSF International (www.nsf.org), a not-for-profit, public health and safety organization has been providing inspections, as well as certification services to the food industry for more than 65 years. So, what does this mean to you and I? Use their advice- The following tips will help keep your family out of that 80% category of people with foodborne illnesses over the Thanksgiving holidays.

• Don't let uncooked turkey sit at room temperature. Shop for a turkey last and get it home as soon as possible. Refrigerate promptly, and bag the turkey separately. You will also want to place the bag below all other food in your refrigerator. Should that turkey start to thaw, you will not want that raw turkey juice on your food.
• Thawing a turkey out can be one of the most challenging times of the season. Allow plenty of time for the turkey to thaw. You have three options here. Option 1: Place a covered turkey in a shallow pan on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator Option 2: Place the plastic-wrapped turkey in a pan of cold water, changing the water about every 30 minutes. Option 3: Completely submerge the turkey under a stream of lukewarm (70 degree F) running water.
• Wash your hands thoroughly while handling any raw meat, especially turkey. Use lots of warm water and soap
• Never place the turkey directly on the counter; keep in on a platter, plate, or roaster. Clean and sanitize the counter, as well as utensils after handling a raw turkey.
• Always use a thermometer to check for doneness, even if the turkey has a pop-up timer. The magic number is 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone. If the thermometer registers the magic number, voila~ Your turkey is done!
• Refrigerate any leftovers immediately. Never use a large container for your leftovers. Separate the large portions into smaller portions, and cover the container loosely while cooling.

Do not let all of these safety precautions scare you out of tackling that turkey for your Thanksgiving meal. Preparing a turkey should be easy, just be sure to use some common sense. Your family, as well as your kids, will thank you! Anytime Mom can go the extra mile in the kitchen, especially when it comes to safety, everyone is very appreciative. And that is what Thanksgiving is about, being Thankful! After all, it's all in a Mom's Day, Right?

The information for this article is from www.nsf.org- and my opinions stated in this article, are just that, my opinions, and nobody elses. I did not receive any compensation for this blog post.

This age thing----

OK~ I am a 40 something Mom and YIKES- these crazy eyes are driving me crazy! There's something about the words "reading glasses" and "bifocals." Those two words remind me of an old lady. So, if reading glasses or bifocals are in my near future, does this mean that I am an old lady? Well, according to my 14 year old, I am old because:

• I eat oatmeal for breakfast
• I look both ways before pulling into an intersection while driving
• I go to bed by 10:00 p.m.
• I like to read books
• I enjoy crossword puzzles
• I don't fully understand FarmTown on Facebook
• I got extremely excited when I purchased a new pair of jeans from Lane Bryant, size 1!
  

Personally, I think I'm a pretty average Mom, just trying to make sense out of raising teenagers! After all, it's all in a Mom's Day, Right?

Yep, I live in Iowa!

OK~ A few years ago we were camping at a campground in Colorado. Ahhh....I love Colorado. I was waiting in line for the pay phone- AHA! See, I told ya, it's been a few years back!

Man ahead of me asks me: "Where ya from?"

Me: "Iowa"

Man ahead of me states: "Oh, Ohio where they grow the potatoes!"

Me: Yep (Thinking that I have no hope on this one!)

After all, it's all in a Mom's Day, Right?