tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29488214581622673962024-02-07T20:53:52.314-05:00Danielle's Brain BitsThoughts on the journey through parenting, marriage, and life in general from your average stay-at-home mom. Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.comBlogger246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-55296310264105507322019-03-06T13:29:00.002-05:002019-03-06T13:29:50.792-05:00Not OkayI sat there looking across the table at my sweet 4-year-old daughter's face, the Princess Aurora replica crown sitting on her head resting up against the tiara she had gotten from her Nana. The shimmery pink of the princess dress catching the sunlight through the lights of the tearoom windows and the shine of the glitter brightening up the table. I watched as she carefully sipped her "tea" (apple juice) and set it down on the saucer. She encouraged me to drink my tea and gave me a half-smile while she did so.<br />
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I picked up my teacup and pretended to look away while I sipped on my fancy hibiscus something-or-other tea. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her shoulders slip and the smile fade. I saw her eyes let their tired out and relax for a minute while gazing off in the distance.<br />
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We sat there in the Disney Grand Floridian Tearoom surrounded by many other little princesses and their moms & dads, sipping from fancy teacups and awaiting our fancy plates of teatime food listening to Princess Rose Petal tell us the story of Sleeping Beauty. I had been waiting for this special surprise time with my little girl for 6 months since we booked and paid for the experience ahead of time not knowing that a boy sitting behind my daughter on the plane would cough non-stop for 3-hours and likely be the one to give her a cold accompanied by a mild fever. We didn't know that we'd be debating whether or not to swallow the cost and let her spend her morning flopped in hotel room to rest or give in to her begging for her very special Mommy & Evie surprise and allow her to go anyways. We didn't know we'd ACTUALLY be using the thermometer to check for fevers and nursing a 100.5 temperature with ibuprofen instead of just holding them to the side hoping we wouldn't have to use them.<br />
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I looked at my sweet girl sitting across the table from me and watched as she gave a little sniffle before picking up her cup and sipping on her juice again. She caught me watching her and put the big smile back on her face, not knowing that her eyes were giving her away.<br />
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"Sweetie," I said, "you know... I know you're not feeling 100% today. That's OK. We can just enjoy the tea relaxed. Don't feel like you have to sit super tall, OK? It's OK to not be OK."<br />
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"OK, Mom. Thanks. I'm OK."<br />
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And the smile stayed on for the rest of the tea.<br />
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My 4-year-old daughter had already begun to learn the fine art of pretending everything is A-OK.<br />
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My heart. My heart broke a little bit in that moment.<br />
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Why do we think that being "not-OK" is not allowed? Why do we walk around and cover up the hurt, anger, sadness, and negative emotions we carry? Why do we not allow ourselves to be vulnerable and honest?<br />
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How are you? "I'm fine." It's part of our culture, the answer is almost reflexive. But how many of us say "Oh, I'm fine..." when really - we're not fine at all? Or maybe we're just enough not fine that it saddens us to say those words when really we just want to say "You know... I could use a hug/encouragement/break"?<br /><br />My 4-year-old had already learned this skill, the art of being "fine".<br /><br />It's OK to not be OK.<br /><br />Say it out loud, right now. Stop what you're doing and say it out loud: It's OK to not be OK. It's absolutely alright to be a little down, to be grieving, to feel a little off, to have a grouchy day.<br /><br />And say this: It's OK for other people to not be OK. It's OK to have that awkward not knowing what to say feeling for a few minutes just to allow someone else the freedom to be not OK if that's what they're feeling at that given moment. It's alright to allow someone else the ability to be vulnerable and to let their feelings show.<br /><br />Imagine a world where people felt like they could be honest with their feelings 100% of the time. Where we didn't feel like we'd have to hide when we weren't OK lest we be judged for being discontent or intentionally miserable. A place where those feelings were allowed to be discussed and processed and FELT.<br /><br />A world where my 4-year-old daughter didn't have to feel like she had to sit tall and proper in a Disney tearoom even though she had a cold annoying enough to be functional but make her stuffed up and a little sleepy.<br /><br />Why does my 4-year-old know this skill already?<br /><br />Then I realized... <b>I</b> am guilty of practicing this. Of putting on the smiling, put-together face on days when I'm exhausted, anxious, angry, or otherwise. Of saying that everything is fine or that I'm OK - even to my own kids and husband - when really, I'm off a bit.<br /><br />When I realized this, that I had taught her the fine art of "being OK"... my heart broke a little bit more. The worst is coming to the realization that you're part of the problem - especially when it comes to your kids.<br /><br />I challenge all of us - myself included - to be a little more honest with ourselves. To be a little more vulnerable to those who care about us. To allow ourselves the ability to NOT be OK. To share when we're tired. To be raw when we feel raw.<br /><br />And I challenge all of us to support one another. To love on each other and to not judge and to allow each other the ability to share our true feelings when "fine" isn't ACTUALLY what we're feeling.<br /><br />I want to live in a world where I feel like I can just be all the shades of me - the good, the bad, the sad, the ecstatic - and not just have my highlight reel define me. I want to live in a world where my kids can feel like they can be sad freely, be joyous without abandon, and feel and display ALL of their emotions to the world. Where they can inspire others to do the same.<br /><br />I think we can start by being honest and vulnerable with ourselves. Once we can do that, we can be honest and vulnerable with others as well. Allow yourself the freedom to feel whatever it is that you're feeling, then allow yourself to share that with others. If you're fine - be the best fine you can be. If you're down - allow yourself to work through that. If you're tired - allow yourself to be honest about that and rest. If you're full of joy - spread it.<br /><br />It's OK to not be OK. It's OK to be OK.<br /><br />It's OK to be.<br /><br />So... how ARE you?<br />
<br />Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-35480580069141791982018-12-14T13:50:00.002-05:002018-12-14T13:50:50.080-05:00Review: 365-Day Devotional Journal from Ellie Claire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Part of what I love about reviewing products is that I often get to sample and see things that I consider purchasing - but then never actually do. Behold the latest example of this - the Ellie Claire 365-Day Devotional Journals. </div>
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When I got these journals in the mail a couple of weeks ago, I resisted the urge to dive in right away for a couple of reasons. First - I prefer to start a 365-day journal on the first of the year and second - we were leaving for a Disney trip in two days and I thought I'd better not distract myself from the task of packing.<br />
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Even though I prefer to start 365-day journals on the first of the year, I did spot sample a couple of the devotionals for the review purposes and take a good look at these journals. For those of you, like me, who like writing and can appreciate a good writing notebook or journal - you will not be disappointed if you pick one of these up. Why, you ask? Well let me tell you.<br />
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To start, the weight of the cover is a good thickness for a paperback journal and is coated with a plastic-vinyl type material. The paper itself handles a good ballpoint pen (my preferred writing implement, I especially like the BIC Velocity series of ballpoint pens) and doesn't seem like it would tear under standard writing; it's thicker than notebook paper and thinner than cardstock - which is exactly what I like in a good journal.<br />
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The devotions themselves are well written and succinct. For a busy mom like me who may only have a few minutes per day to set aside for a devotional, the readings are perfect. They offer a tangible framework for the point of the day, the devotional point to reflect on, and a quick verse reading to tie it all together. I've found that these kinds of devotionals readings - whether in an app or in a paper journal - work best for me. Hit me quickly, give me something to think about, and don't make me feel guilty that I don't have a ton of time in the world to sit and read something lengthy.<br />
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Last - and this is a small thing - I am one of those people who really likes to have a marker in my journals. I have found that a standard bookmark doesn't work for me in a journal because it always falls out in transit (I often toss journals in my bag) and then I get frustrated. These journals have one of those elastic bookmarks which I absolutely adore and appreciate. It's a feature that is essential for me in a journal or a daily notebook both for keeping my place and for keeping the edges of the pages down.<br /><br />There are two minor downsides to this journal that you may want to consider. The first is that these journals aren't exactly pocket-sized, so if you're someone who prefers to have something you can fit in a smaller purse or your pocket rather than carry a larger bag (which I do) or sit at home for a few minutes with a cup of your favorite warm beverage - you may want to consider that. I personally find this journal size perfect for my preferences, but I know not everyone is like me. Second, the devotional pages ARE dated. I say this because if you're like me and like to start at the beginning of a notebook or it gives you heart palpitations but you're also the kind of person who likes to start things when you want to start them and not wait for a specific date... then this journal might drive you crazy. They're minor things, but things you may want to consider if you're looking for a devotional journal. Otherwise...<br /><br />If you're someone like me who has a hectic life and want to make time with little to no excuses for a daily devotional - I highly recommend this journal. I especially recommend it if you - like me - don't want an electronic daily journal that just forces you to have "one more thing/reason" to look at your phone. There are 3 gorgeous styles - all of which are under $20 - and would make a perfect gift for yourself, a gift swap, or a dear friend or loved one who wants to make it a goal to spend more time in devotions in the new year.<br /><br />Where can you buy them? Amazon and Barnes & Noble both have all 3 versions of this journal available for your purchasing pleasure. If you buy one, comment below and let me know what you think!!<br />
<br /><b><i>365 Devotions - Peace Begins with Me:</i></b><br />
Amazon: <a class="auto-generated-link" data-auto-recognition="true" data-content="http://bit.ly/PeaceonAmazon" data-type="external" href="http://bit.ly/PeaceonAmazon" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-family: signika, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PeaceonAmazon</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>Barnes & Noble: <a class="auto-generated-link" data-auto-recognition="true" data-content="http://bit.ly/PeaceonBN" data-type="external" href="http://bit.ly/PeaceonBN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-family: signika, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PeaceonBN</a><br />
<br /><b><i>365 Devotions - Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus:</i></b><br />
Amazon: <a class="auto-generated-link" data-auto-recognition="true" data-content="http://bit.ly/EyesonAmazon" data-type="external" href="http://bit.ly/EyesonAmazon" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-family: signika, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/EyesonAmazon</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>Barnes & Noble: <a class="auto-generated-link" data-auto-recognition="true" data-content="http://bit.ly/EyesonBN" data-type="external" href="http://bit.ly/EyesonBN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-family: signika, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/EyesonBN</a><br />
<br /><b><i>365 Devotions - The Earth is the Lord's:</i></b><br />
Amazon: <a class="auto-generated-link" data-auto-recognition="true" data-content="http://bit.ly/EarthonAmazon" data-type="external" href="http://bit.ly/EarthonAmazon" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-family: signika, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/EarthonAmazon</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>Barnes & Noble: <a class="auto-generated-link" data-auto-recognition="true" data-content="http://bit.ly/EarthonBN" data-type="external" href="http://bit.ly/EarthonBN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-family: signika, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/EarthonBN</a><br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Disclaimer: One copy of each version of journal was provided to me by the publisher for review. I received no monetary compensation for this review and all opinions are my own. I am not receiving any commission or other compensatory measures for any purchases made through affiliated links in this post. In other words - I got the journals and a deadline to post and that's that, no coercion or begging to say nice things or anything. <br /><br />Also if you're reading this disclaimer props to you because I've often wondered how many people actually read these things. </i></span>Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-7146466682310514232018-11-16T09:57:00.000-05:002018-11-16T09:57:03.577-05:00Review: Hillsong Kids - "Can You Believe It?" (With a Giveaway!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GayfoT1Mj7y3Isyl7dSQEKaKCuLJj9wjddVnl4DY37_7qpmtEk8BFAV4UAQlfc6ATubY_IpZe9feTId1uCuG_YxJK4KNq48YBpGOd2PB0cwvfClH-PSOdI7QRQvHxJk_P5aXy-PIsAU/s1600/PastedGraphic-1.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GayfoT1Mj7y3Isyl7dSQEKaKCuLJj9wjddVnl4DY37_7qpmtEk8BFAV4UAQlfc6ATubY_IpZe9feTId1uCuG_YxJK4KNq48YBpGOd2PB0cwvfClH-PSOdI7QRQvHxJk_P5aXy-PIsAU/s1600/PastedGraphic-1.tiff" /></a>One of my favorite worship groups is Hillsong United, so when an opportunity came up to review the new Hillsong Kids DVD/album "Can You Believe It?" - I took it. Especially since I haven't had a chance to sit and write in a while and I thought this would give me a great opportunity to get back into doing so.<br /><br />This was my first foray into Hillsong Kids and I have to say that I was impressed. A lot of times kids music - even just generally speaking - is very ear-wormy and sometimes, dare I say, annoying. Further, I am so particular when it comes to my worship music; it can't be too campy or I lose interest rapidly and since kids' music is often campy as well I knew that anything with the word "Kids" in it relating to music had a potential to be a danger zone. This was not at all the case with the music on this album. Some of the songs were kids singing some Hillsong favorites ("Oceans" and "What a Beautiful Name") and the ones that were a bit more kid-focused ("My Best Friend") were far from campy and were - dare I say - sweet and fun.<br /><br />As far as the DVD itself, I snuggled in with a cup of tea and crocheting after the kids went to bed to be able to watch it. The format is fun and reminiscent of the days when MTV actually played music with a real VJ. Hosted by Funny Man Dan (and another guy whose name I completely forgot to grab when I watched it... John? Doesn't matter... the straight man to Funny Man Dan's goofiness), the program itself is about 25 minutes long and easily could keep the attention of a 6-10 year old. I feel like the humor would be lost on anyone younger than that and older you might run the risk of the kids thinking the jokes or attempts at engaging the audience in scripture was a bit, erm, dorky. It alternates between music videos and the hosts conducting interviews with members of the worship team, games, or scripture. Like the music, it is kid-focused without being campy or annoying (unless you're in that "I'm too cool for things" teenager phase).<br /><br />Speaking of teenagers... if you're a youth leader or middle/upper elementary kids' ministry leader, this DVD is a great tool for pre-teaching/activity worship. In addition to the program detailed above, every song on the album is available in an age-appropriate lyrics-only video format. These videos are perfect for kids/teen worship with fun fonts and bright, flashy, attention-keeping graphics. If you're looking for worship time before classes or retreats or events for kids and teens and don't have a worship band/worship leaders for those groups, this is seriously a great and contemporary tool to have in your back pocket.<br /><br /><b><i>Overall, my recommendations/reviews would flow like this: </i></b><br /><br />- Definitely recommend the CD/album itself for anyone with kiddos that is looking for age-appropriate worship music to listen to at home. I mean, how can you go wrong with Hillsong?<br /><br />- Definitely recommend the DVD for anyone who leads a kids' or teen ministry. Fantastic tool for worship times with the lyric videos section of the disc.<br /><br />- Medium recommendation for home viewing. While the video is well done, you'd have to have kids that are interested in watching music videos and that like silly grown-ups. This could be good for a snow-day background viewing while doing puzzles or crafts, but personally at our house we'd rather listen to the worship album on CD than watch it on TV. Could also be good if you have a small group with childcare to play for the kids while you meet or if you have a home church with a kids' portion.<br /><br /><b>And now... the giveaway!!!</b><br /><br />Want to win a copy of the DVD for yourself? I'll make it easy this time:<br /><br />- Share this post on your page & comment that you did so.<br />- When you comment that you did so, name your favorite Thanksgiving food.<br /><br />That's it! Contest ends Monday 11/19/18 at 9:00 AM and the winner will be notified by Monday at noon.<br /><br />And now... time for me to bundle up the kids and clear the snow from my driveway. I've put it off long enough. đź‘Ť<br /><br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): </b>Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e;">Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.</span></i></div>
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<br />Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-33330723797835615582018-01-11T11:30:00.003-05:002018-01-11T11:30:24.861-05:00Cauliflower Sausage "Chowder"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMkfvhWBcCCIqIQD8Irl2mHnD4xwuaTZYMcWvxXxGhAFW_cc3uytmdOA9GAhnyeRNhgAye7LZNfQMpzwiO8R2QRYoNbSBaT-OoLsYLI-ZKlHoMvYQbB1Mok_4qjZJHCZym1jcT_XPzWA/s1600/header+recipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMkfvhWBcCCIqIQD8Irl2mHnD4xwuaTZYMcWvxXxGhAFW_cc3uytmdOA9GAhnyeRNhgAye7LZNfQMpzwiO8R2QRYoNbSBaT-OoLsYLI-ZKlHoMvYQbB1Mok_4qjZJHCZym1jcT_XPzWA/s640/header+recipe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ah, cauliflower. A vegetable that comes in many colors (my kids are big fans of the taste of purple cauliflower) and is versatile in its uses. People use it to make pizza crust, the "bread" to grilled cheeses, as a rice substitute in stir fry dishes, and mashed. It's used in soups, in pasta dishes (sometimes even as a dairy substitute in "alfredo" sauce), in casseroles. In our house, we love ricing it in our food processor, mashing it as a topper for a take on shepherd's pie, and even just tossing it with a bit of olive oil & seasonings and roasting it until the edges are golden brown.<br /><br />It's a favorite for sure, and after fooling my husband yet again with cauliflower in a dish in place of something else - it's even been declared to be "magical".<br /><br />So imagine how my curiosity piqued when I was poking around at recipes and saw people using pureed cauliflower as a thickener. I decided that I would experiment with this concept and went blind (meaning no recipe in front of me) to attempt a "chowder".<br /><br />The results were delicious, healthy, low-calorie, and filling. Requests were made to put it in our regular menu rotation and no one added any hot sauce or ketchup. It's a great way to try and get your kids to get more veggies into their routine (since the liquid itself is 40-50% cauliflower) and a way to get your chowder fix even when you're trying to stick to those New Year's Resolutions.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Ingredients:</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li>1 large head white cauliflower, chopped & divided (about 2-3 cups florets, remainder chunks)</li>
<li>1 tbsp olive oil (I used light olive oil)</li>
<li>1 6-link package uncooked chicken sausage of your choosing (I used garlic & herb from Aldi) OR 1-1.5 lb ground chicken sausage</li>
<li>3-4 small to medium carrots, shredded (about 1 cup)</li>
<li>4 cups stock (I used 4 cups water and 5 tsp Better than Boullion chicken base</li>
<li>1 cup water</li>
<li>1 cup frozen corn</li>
<li>Salt and Pepper, to taste</li>
<li>Garlic Salt grinder blend, to taste (I used Trader Joe's Garlic Salt grinder)</li>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Method:</span></b></div>
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Chop the cauliflower separating out about 2-3 cups of just florets (about half a head's worth) and put the remainder in a small pot with 4 cups of stock. Cook chunks in stock until tender (5-7 minutes once stock boils/simmers) and set aside the florets. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OLljRz5UmezCDPC5356bhL2I62qegUan8HkEqyGjpWQVh2zU4kz5rmThECEb7u04jN63Cbe13Y3Z3O9Fo8HEP2spr88WvJMawkZndqf6f5FiLKuYsf83P3oFizNOTaTCwBzDsJlZfqo/s1600/BeFunky+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OLljRz5UmezCDPC5356bhL2I62qegUan8HkEqyGjpWQVh2zU4kz5rmThECEb7u04jN63Cbe13Y3Z3O9Fo8HEP2spr88WvJMawkZndqf6f5FiLKuYsf83P3oFizNOTaTCwBzDsJlZfqo/s320/BeFunky+Collage.jpg" width="320" /></a>Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large stock pot and squeeze sausage from casing so it can be browned & ground. Dispose of casings in garbage. You no longer need those.<br /></div>
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Once sausage is browned, add cauliflower florets and shredded carrots. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until cauliflower is tender. </div>
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<br />Reduce heat and add water to sausage and veggies to get up the "brown bits" (or "deglaze the pot" for you fancy-worded folks). There's tons of flavor here - don't leave the flavor behind!!</div>
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<br />Add corn to sausage and veggies and toss until well combined. Turn off heat.</div>
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<br />Once cauliflower chunks have become tender, turn off heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. DO NOT DRAIN - Puree stock & cauliflower together using either an immersion blender or a standard blender in batches. </div>
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<br />Pour all of the puree into the sausage & veggies. Stir together, add seasoning. Voila!<br /><ul>
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<b><i>Makes 4-6 servings.</i></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>For a printable version of this recipe, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bKTjy1kQjWDIqWlfElqZmJABWLfLJkUnEtvwuso9vHM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">click on this link</a>. </b></span></i></div>
Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-56212324498619357042017-12-04T08:35:00.000-05:002017-12-04T08:35:36.873-05:00Review: Adored - 365 Devotions for Young Women<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been volunteering with my church's youth ministry off and on since 2008 (I took a few years break because we had kids and well... that happens sometimes). If there's one thing that I've learned over those years, it's that sometimes our raw, core feelings are not that different the older we get.<br />
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I'll get to why that's important to this review in a minute.<br />
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When FlyBy Promotions asked for folks to volunteer to review <i><u>Adored - 365 Devotions for Young Women</u></i> from Zondervan, I jumped on it. I even asked if I could do my giveaway during our middle school girls' youth meeting rather than on the blog (and they said yes - so I did, and one of our sweet girls is going to get a copy in the mail). I was so excited to take the opportunity to review a book that could have a positive impact on young women.<br />
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I got the book in the mail and was absolutely drawn to the artwork on the cover. It's simple and doesn't have that "I'm clearly trying to draw in teen girls!" look about it (you know what I mean - the loud designs... yeah... see... you know) which is refreshing. The cover is solid and while the book is thick it's a manageable size; this is a devotional that a girl can carry in her bag easily without it getting to clunky.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8qDKBKUcGm0N8g4WuwGJP4u2RMpuXyTiE7lA-26wNwA6s3LyRxJY_D3NmYAiLjH3UaBxQeYaRTiC6Tcm1GxRfTtPzbozlAnbLdhB3pNlLi7pBmsBojAD_toYTmuE3STvTpLXE1xso_w/s1600/IMG_6835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8qDKBKUcGm0N8g4WuwGJP4u2RMpuXyTiE7lA-26wNwA6s3LyRxJY_D3NmYAiLjH3UaBxQeYaRTiC6Tcm1GxRfTtPzbozlAnbLdhB3pNlLi7pBmsBojAD_toYTmuE3STvTpLXE1xso_w/s320/IMG_6835.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I "adore" this cover design - so inviting!</i></td></tr>
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Once you get into the devotionals, one thing I absolutely love about this particular one is the invitation to write notes below the daily reading. I find that often there's just blank space or you squish in the margins, but this book is really encouraging the reader to take a minute and write a thought or two about what has been read. Each reading has an accompanying scripture which is wonderful because it encourages the reader to crack open a Bible alongside the reading and potentially take a deeper dive into the verse of the day and its content.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_EQ7St-1K311SmtwDG1EGWXKuntNm5vo7c98dZKEgsyh1r2DkeWDQ8j1euVJj7ZUgrEL2djK2hdpGcdGx_XMzoHF6PkWRHSF341ReksHeuWyAbPuWgPxyfzE7aMCKdgjKVD0lMfzm3s/s1600/IMG_6831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_EQ7St-1K311SmtwDG1EGWXKuntNm5vo7c98dZKEgsyh1r2DkeWDQ8j1euVJj7ZUgrEL2djK2hdpGcdGx_XMzoHF6PkWRHSF341ReksHeuWyAbPuWgPxyfzE7aMCKdgjKVD0lMfzm3s/s320/IMG_6831.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The daily verse is a great anchor and reference for the readings.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSltzWwUhyphenhyphenVrJDBxYrWuWbo1JIRqBVSPMsX0bxC-flMnq5czdl_M0ITFvAa2yqT4Gfc9HWzLRLaZvi0Ck4M18Z5M9D3Z1sigGQtf__JTeE0Vsrvew8X-LjB7yxTbpcdaRaEldwBSsnso/s1600/IMG_6832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSltzWwUhyphenhyphenVrJDBxYrWuWbo1JIRqBVSPMsX0bxC-flMnq5czdl_M0ITFvAa2yqT4Gfc9HWzLRLaZvi0Ck4M18Z5M9D3Z1sigGQtf__JTeE0Vsrvew8X-LjB7yxTbpcdaRaEldwBSsnso/s320/IMG_6832.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A place to write notes? Don't mind if I do! </i></td></tr>
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(In fact - if you're looking for a good Bible to use alongside this, might <a href="http://daniellesbrainbits.blogspot.com/2017/11/review-giveaway-illuminated-esv-bible.html" target="_blank">I recommend the Illuminated ESV Bible which I reviewed last week</a>? Incidentally that's exactly the Bible that I used alongside this wonderful devotional - so I can honestly say that they definitely tie well together.)<br />
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So for the devotionals... here's why what I said earlier is important.<br />
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The devotionals are simple, straightforward, and easy to relate to. They are written in down-to-earth language and with a tone that comes off as conversational and approachable. I clearly did not have 365 days to review the whole book, but I selected a few and I have to say that it's the kind of real talk that a lot of teenagers need. The readings are thought provoking of how we should live our lives covering topics of how God loves us and sees us to free will to consistency of character to generosity and more.<br />
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As I read through these, though, I realized that the simple language and the thoughts of the devotionals - while geared towards "young women" - are really applicable to any women on this side of the technology age. There are a couple of readings that really hit chords in MY life, and I'm 37 (which some would argue is "young", but that's neither here nor there). While I do highly recommend this devotional for the teen or college age young woman in your life (or if you are a teen or college age girl) - I would also recommend this for any woman who is busy and sometimes just needs a quicker devotional that's quick, easy to read, and challenges your thinking.<br />
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To get your own copy of this wonderful devotional (and a free 7-day download sampling so you can try before you buy), head on over to the <a href="https://info.zondervan.com/adored-devotional/" target="_blank">Adored Devotional home page</a>. This would make a wonderful gift for that young woman in your life that you may be mentoring, a great grab for a youth group Christmas swap, or maybe you've been looking for a good devotional for yourself. Definitely consider this one in your searching - it's worth the look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW14apnMW6ohoaStW2I2z8rFWEfbtgqrcY9-omf8ZYxPpBofA4zI6XE2t_otQaA1DA9gqgnei8VsAaThSJtZPjNH2jm9dDAb5nwxeWM5ZJ3fwoFa8mbmDD7FjbpbPrr8K_pfFFZmX85KM/s1600/IMG_6836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW14apnMW6ohoaStW2I2z8rFWEfbtgqrcY9-omf8ZYxPpBofA4zI6XE2t_otQaA1DA9gqgnei8VsAaThSJtZPjNH2jm9dDAb5nwxeWM5ZJ3fwoFa8mbmDD7FjbpbPrr8K_pfFFZmX85KM/s320/IMG_6836.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. </span>Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-66807704916984314742017-11-22T19:12:00.000-05:002017-11-22T19:18:24.062-05:00Review & Giveaway: Illuminated ESV Bible So you know those fancy journaling Bibles that people have been posting on social media over the last several months?<br />
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Well... I had an opportunity to review one, and of course I jumped on it.<br />
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I received my Illuminated ESV Bible (Art Journaling Edition) and was immediately struck by the beautiful gold design on the outside. I'm sure there's a fancy art word for whatever it is - embossing? - but it's gorgeous.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL_c3WPFO1Fk5XEsgAqm2OegHZiZuenxGi_qZF9kCrxuYpGdGAZy8Cbc9PQeoKdtQ-YwxC0iokqcYACuN7ziAEWEB4KARju56TzynabTtT-nQ_zt81Fp7zfuXrQG9295txuv4oO9Zf-M/s1600/IMG_6834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL_c3WPFO1Fk5XEsgAqm2OegHZiZuenxGi_qZF9kCrxuYpGdGAZy8Cbc9PQeoKdtQ-YwxC0iokqcYACuN7ziAEWEB4KARju56TzynabTtT-nQ_zt81Fp7zfuXrQG9295txuv4oO9Zf-M/s320/IMG_6834.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It also came in a matching slide-out box.<br />In full disclosure, I recycled that thing.<br />I'm not a fan of them. Those and dust covers. Don't understand them at all.</i></td></tr>
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The volume itself is a good, hefty what I call desk or table Bible. It's got a nice hardcover and while the pages have that characteristic what I call "Bible-thinness", they weren't so thin that I was worried I would rip one of them if I turned them the wrong way. This is actually pretty important to me because I'm a known clumsy person who tends to rip/spill/otherwise unintentionally break things - so feeling like I could read it safely in my kitchen where little hands are often pulling on me.<br />
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Once the Bible is opened, reader is graced with a 9-pt Lexicon font - so be aware if you are the kind of person who prefers a large-print Bible that the larger size of the book is not indicative of the size of the font. All pages leave margin space for journaling and most pages feature the illustrations/designed verses of <a href="http://www.danatanamachi.com/" target="_blank">Dana Tanamachi</a> whose work has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Google, Target, and Time Magazine (among others). You guys - it is gorgeous. I'm not going to lie: even though this is <i>technically </i>a journaling Bible, I have zero desire to write in the margin and rather gently highlight key verses instead so as to not tarnish the gorgeous drawings with my doodles.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN8RF6QJxnaYZ9FbHMotp0AMdPUG3GDoPa9imAYeP9Fav-bwVXOJAW6A9jD36sgx0Sq9LDXkMJUPlBn6he6JOC0aa4WruRyIQ672Q83GCVKv5T9Oqn41vkRBkkJU4ai4cbn8zkXcHnKI/s1600/IMG_6833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN8RF6QJxnaYZ9FbHMotp0AMdPUG3GDoPa9imAYeP9Fav-bwVXOJAW6A9jD36sgx0Sq9LDXkMJUPlBn6he6JOC0aa4WruRyIQ672Q83GCVKv5T9Oqn41vkRBkkJU4ai4cbn8zkXcHnKI/s320/IMG_6833.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>See? Isn't it pretty?</i></td></tr>
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While I would not call this a portable Bible (unless you carry a backpack everywhere you likely aren't bringing this to church), it's definitely one that's well suited to the prayer journaler, the person who sits at a table with a cup of coffee to read scripture, or someone who just appreciates an absolutely stunning Bible.<br />
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If you're interested in purchasing one of these beauties for yourself or as a gift for Christmas, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/060FAE2C-365C-4591-87C0-39ADAC08D5E9" target="_blank">they are available at Amazon</a> in a few different colors as well as a leather edition (fancy!). Alternatively, I'm giving one away here! Entering is SO SIMPLE - everyone can have up to 2 entries to win. All you have to do is:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">- Share this post and comment here that you did so AND/OR<br />- Leave a comment below with your favorite verse. </span></b><br />
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That's it! Entries will be accepted until December 2, 2017 at 12:00 PM and a winner will be notified by December 4, 2017 at 12:00 PM.<br />
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For more information about this gorgeous Bible visit https://www.illuminatedbible.org/.<br />
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<i style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Happy Thanksgiving!</b></i></div>
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><i><br /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.</span></i><br />
<br />Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-40494933816470442122017-10-26T12:27:00.002-04:002017-10-26T12:27:33.975-04:00Two Steps BehindSometimes when you're a parent, everything can seem like a blur. Days can seem like endless cycles... Clean the playroom, go to the bathroom, eat your dinner, get ready for school, is it bedtime yet, you need a bath, stop annoying your sibling, don't ask me about getting a pet again, yes we can read a story, yes you can color as soon as you clean the playroom, please only jump off the couch to the mat one person at at time - and stop doing it until the playroom is clean or you'll bust your face and break your toys, oh hey it's bedtime, please be still so I can brush your teeth, get your pajamas on, say five things you're thankful for, pray, tuck in, didn't you just go to the bathroom - why are you up, collapse, sleep, repeat tomorrow.<br />
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And that was just the evening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfDQGtqlq8pzxdJToFuQe0MYXmyQIo6JKv1ZKGH_IgXKxFStH3vy9hTyMkD17Z2WmoxI95zIzSAHsdYjvLYfABIgWjjM5lIkQ8rzmj4ALhYF7uiphS585YKC16OYPUIliXPZcUAJeESc/s1600/IMG_4258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfDQGtqlq8pzxdJToFuQe0MYXmyQIo6JKv1ZKGH_IgXKxFStH3vy9hTyMkD17Z2WmoxI95zIzSAHsdYjvLYfABIgWjjM5lIkQ8rzmj4ALhYF7uiphS585YKC16OYPUIliXPZcUAJeESc/s400/IMG_4258.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You go ahead and splash... I'mma sit in the garage and stay dry.</i></td></tr>
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But sometimes parenting affords you the opportunity to just slow down and watch.<br />
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This summer we took a lot of outings. We went to our favorite seashore state park, we went on hikes on local trails, we checked out the aquarium, we went to our favorite indoor playground, we visited the Clydesdales.<br />
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Those of you with kids know that there comes a point when the reality hits you that your children are no longer completely dependent on you and with this comes a whole range of emotions. Some parents feel freedom at no longer constantly needing to feel strapped to a dependent being. Some parents feel sadness at the loss of the baby days, the snuggles and baby smells and stretchy little baby fingers and squishy baby faces. There's a whole litany of feelings that come along with realizing that your kids are entering "the next phase".<br />
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There was a point as I was following my kids ride their bikes one day that it occurred to me that I was taking a lot of pictures this summer of the BACK of my children. Behind them while they rode their bikes, behind them while they balanced across rocks, behind them while they led the way through the woods. From a bench while they climbed play structures and slid down slides. From the shore of the lake while they splashed around in their floaties, ready to get up and pull them in as necessary. The moments in which I needed to direct, to guide, to reign in, to make sure they were immediately at my side are diminishing. My children require the guidelines and rules of whatever activity we are doing, to be reminded to go to the bathroom, provided food for the occasion.<br />
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At five and three, I went from needing to be integral to their activities to being two steps behind them at all times. Close enough to intervene, far enough to allow independence.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Swimmies on, Mom's watchful eye 20 yards away...</i></td></tr>
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The feeling that I felt at this: Amazement.<br />
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Here are these beings that just a few short years ago required me for everything. And little by little they learned new skills and built on those skills and got stronger and faster and formed opinions and desires and have their own motivations - and now here we are.<br />
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I follow them on foot, power walking as they pedal along in front of me. I remind them to stay on the path as they lead the way on beaten paths in forests. I stay close by as they climb rocks, ready to reach out a hand or grab them when they need support.<br />
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I am amazed at how they have grown, how they have developed, and how they no longer need me to the same degree to do certain things. And while I long for the day when I no longer hear the words shouted through the house "MOM - I NEED MY BUTT WIPED!!!", I rest in these moments when they straddle between relying on me and relying on themselves.<br />
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As they continue to grow, I know that the gap between needing me and not needing me will do the same. That they will learn to properly wipe their own backside, to walk themselves into school, to make their own snacks, to get up on their own without waking me up, to go out with their friends alone, to drive, to go to college, to become their own people with their own lives.<br />
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Because yes, I've already made it clear to them that they will not live in my house when they grow up. We've compromised and they can live next door. In their own house. But not here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Take flight, kiddos...</i></td></tr>
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Here's the thing - as our kids grow, as WE GREW... their parents - OUR parents - were always two steps behind them. Those two steps look differently as they grow. Now I walk behind their bikes and wait on benches at the park. Soon it will be waiting on a bench at the mall while they do their own Christmas shopping and "Meet me back here in 45 minutes". Then it will be reminding them that all they need to do if they're ever in a situation they aren't comfortable in is to pick up the phone and I'll come and get them. Then it will be telling them what finding a job is like, what relationships are like. Relaying my experiences, drying tears, driving to jobs, bringing chicken soup to college dorms (if they live close).<br />
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Helping them when they move into their first home, have their weddings, and start families.<br />
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As our children learn skills, we too are learning. We are learning what it's like to raise up and let go, all the while providing an appropriate safety net for them to fall into if they need it.<br />
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When they need it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Right behind you guys...</i></td></tr>
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We are learning what it looks like to always be two steps behind.<br />
<br />Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-78949139116506901592017-09-29T14:45:00.001-04:002017-09-29T14:45:18.933-04:00Review & Giveaway: "Glory Song"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />I'm going to start this review by saying that if you start your CD with a powerful worship song that will hold up to a Sunday morning worship, you're probably going to get a decent review from me on the rest of the album.<br /><br />This is indeed the case with the new Matt Redman release "Glory Song", whose opening track "All Glory" immediately had me thinking about how awesome it would be to hear our church's worship band playing it before a weekly message. The chorus <i>"All glory to the Father/ All glory to the Son/ All glory to the Spirit/ The Spirit of our God/ As it was in the beginning/ And will be in the end/ All glory to Your everlasting name" </i>is catchy and immediately engages you into the rest of the tracks. There's not a single song on this CD that I did not enjoy, and indeed the only "questionable" part of anything is the random rap in "Gospel Song" that didn't seem to fit with the rest of the music on that particular track - but even that wasn't intolerable, just a little strange.<br /><br />My favorite tracks on this CD are the well-placed "Questions (You Are Faithful)" and "Still I Will Sing" on tracks 8 & 9. I absolutely love the sentiment behind "Questions" - "In all of our questions/ All of our searching/ When we are wrestling/ You don't let go". This song is a wonderful reminder that no matter what season of life we are in - good, bad, tragedy, celebration - God is there. When we have fears, doubts, anxieties, or are blind to God's presence - He is still there. That song ends and the upbeat "Still I Will Sing" comes on, and the table turns from God's being there for us to a song of praise for Him no matter what the storms of life are. "Sing in the battle/ Sing in the blessing/ Sing through the shadows/ Shout with the heavens/ I won't be silent, no/ I won't be silent/ Still I sing, still I will sing" - no matter what the season of life is, this song is a reminder to praise God and know that He is still there for us. Also worthy of mentioning is track 7's "It Is Finished", a song worthy of an entire congregation's voices on Easter Sunday. "No more condemnation/ You had the final word/ There's nothing that can hold me/ There's nothing now to dread."<br /><br />I'm going to openly admit now that I've listened to these three songs on repeat several times already. It's actually pretty amazing that I even listened to tracks 10-13 at all - but I did, and they're also good.<br /><br />Want to hear some of this CD yourself? Take a listen to "Gracefully Broken", a song about surrender to Jesus.<br />
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<br />If you're wanting to purchase and download a copy of "Glory Song" for your own listening pleasure, you can do so on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/glory-song/id1278512462?app=itunes" target="_blank">by clicking here</a>. If you're old-fashioned and want a hard CD copy, it's also available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Song-Matt-Redman/dp/B075B1GZ9M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506709972&sr=8-1&keywords=glory+song+matt+redman" target="_blank">Amazon (and Amazon digital download)</a>. If you're thinking "Danielle, you said you'd be giving away a copy - maybe I can see about maybe winning that first" - yes. Here's how you do that:<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #45818e;">1. Share this post on social media and comment below that you did so (add your username if Twitter/Instagram). <i>(1 Entry)</i><br /><br />2. "Like" Danielle's Brain Bits on Facebook and comment below that you did so. <i>(1 entry)</i><br /><br />3. Comment below with your favorite Matt Redman song AND/OR the song on "Glory Song" you're most interested in hearing simply based on the title (can be found on the iTunes link above).<i> (2 entries)</i></span></b><br />Each person can have a total of 4 entries possible - so earn those entries! Giveaway closes at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, October 4 and winner will be drawn and notified no later than 3:00 PM on Wednesday, October 4.<br /><br />Good luck and happy listening!<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Winner is subject to eligibility verification.</span></span></i>Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-74265662471955927492017-09-24T00:59:00.001-04:002017-09-24T08:13:08.438-04:00Moana is Missing...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anyone who knows our family knows of our love of Walt Disney World. I wrote a post last year on <a href="http://daniellesbrainbits.blogspot.com/2016/12/magical.html" target="_blank">how incredibly magical it is there</a> and right now our family is in the throes of entering the home stretch to our next trip. I just spent 2.5 hours of my evening fine-tuning our dining reservations (or "ADRs" for those that use the lingo) and plotting out our desires for our "FastPass+" preferences. As I was going through our list of desires for lines we wanted to shorten the time we waited in, I heard these little voices in the back of my head asking me "Mom, when we go to Disney World can we meet Moana? And Maui?"<br />
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With the popularity of this movie, one would assume that the answer to this question would be "Sure, why not. Let's wait the 20 minutes in that line for a 1 minute meeting because gosh-darn-it, it will make you happy." However: there isn't a spot anywhere in Walt Disney World that you can meet Moana.<br />
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There was a brief period of time when the movie was released for home viewing that you could meet Moana at the "One Man's Dream" attraction/Walt Disney Shrine at Disney's Hollywood Studios. That stint ended in April 2017 when Disney stopped promoting the Moana release and started promoting "Guardians of the Galaxy 2", inserting a meet with Starlord and Baby Groot in place of the headstrong teenager turned wayfinder (sorry... guess I should have warned you about that spoiler). And so, the star of the movie that was the source of the biggest earworm since "Let It Go" was left with nowhere to meet her - that is unless you are heading to Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Source unknown: But source is a genius.</i></td></tr>
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So I look at my sweet children and give them the disappointment that no, they will not be able to meet Moana or Maui and instead will have to be content with just swinging their pretend hooks around and flying like pretend hawks around my kitchen only to end up standing in front of me while swinging their hooks again to turn back into a pretend demi-god and ask if I want to meet them.<br />
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This may or may not have happened a few times. And they may or may not have been absolutely content with this answer because it's fun to say "I'm Maui! I'm not going on your boat" and making your sister scream because she's Moana.<br />
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I digress.<br />
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Disney - I think you've got to make this happen. Let's face it: you like making money and Moana... Moana can make you some serious bank. Set up that meet & greet space, put up a Moana gift shop beside it, and sit back and watch the money roll in.<br />
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Where? Where on your obscene amount of acreage should you put this meet & greet? Well... I have a few ideas for you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Will is sad because this is Stitch and not Hei-Hei. </i></td></tr>
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<b>1. 'Ohana (Disney's Polynesian Resort):</b> This one is probably the most obvious. Right now, the only character meal at 'Ohana is Lilo & Stitch (with Mickey & Pluto) at breakfast. While this makes sense to have this duo as a primary character draw ("Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind" - I get it), why not further bank on the Moana Mercantile that you've already set up next door? Character meals are a great way to meet characters without needing to wait in lines - you've gotta eat anyways, right? - and a wonderful way for Disney to make more cash since these meals always cost more money. In this scenario, I would carry over Lilo & Stitch and I would add in Moana and Maui (or Hei Hei). In fact while we're at it, let's remove Mickey & Pluto from the breakfast and just make all 3 meals Lilo & Stitch and Moana & Maui. It keeps with the theme of the resort and gives guests a place where they can meet these popular characters. Plus - who wouldn't want to drink some of that time-honored Disney POG juice out of a souvenir Kokamura cup? AMIRIGHT?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Seriously - WHAT IS THIS PLACE?<br />(Source: Wikimedia Commons)</i></td></tr>
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<b>2. The Outpost (Epcot): </b>For as long as Steve and I have been going to Epcot together, we have yet to figure out what this area is besides a place for small children to bang on Bongo drums and to buy a floppy hat if you forgot yours at home or the hotel. Oh - and to buy a Coke (for those who haven't been, there is/was a "Coca-Cola Outpost" sign somewhere in this area). Why not revamp this a bit? Toss in a Kidcot stop, learn about Oceania a little, set up a Moana gift shop, and make an area with a backdrop setup that looks like something from the movie where you meet Moana and/or Maui. For that matter, if you look at the satellite of The Outpost area, there's a "beach" with "boats" across from it already - just replace the canoes that are there with Moana's boat. This could be a simple refurbishment of an area of World Showcase that not many people understand and an easy way to add an area of the world that's not really represented back there either. Since Disney seems to be in the business of renovating areas of World Showcase to fit whatever movies are popular at the movie anyways (I'm looking at you, Norway turned Arendelle and soon-to-be updated France for "Ratatouille") - why not make a better use of The Outpost. I'm just sayin'.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>No idea who took this screenshot, but I'm pretty sure it's<br />from Google Maps. This is the space I'm talking about.</i></td></tr>
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<b>3. Between/Behind the Rafiki's Planet Watch train station & the Maharajah Jungle Trek (Animal Kingdom): </b>If you look at a map of Animal Kingdom, there seems to be a fair amount of dead space kind of along the tracks/path heading up to Rafiki's Planet Watch and the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Maybe I'm wrong and this is some sort of animal training area or extra parking/staging for props or parade equipment - but on the satellite view it looks like a poorly groomed semi-grassy/semi-dirt area. We've got Africa, Asia, prehistoric times, and the fantastical world of Pandora represented at Animal Kingdom - why not use this space to represent the Oceanic part of the world? This could easily be tied into the existing Finding Nemo: The Musical (why not build it a new theater and put a new show in the Finding Nemo space?), maybe a "Return the Heart to Te Fiti" ride, followed by a meet & greet area to meet various characters from Moana (OK... just Moana and Maui), and you know what - since we're all about cultural learning at Animal Kingdom - an area where there's an interactive hula performance at various times throughout the day. And a Dole Whip stand. Because Dole Whips.<br />
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While I am sure there are lots of other places you could just stick a booth and a kiosk and let kids meet Moana - I've heard rumors of "somewhere" in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom, for example - why not make this something a little more. Use your imaginations and use the wave (pardon the pun) that Moana is riding on, invite Dwayne Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho to come to the opening and make a big deal out of it. And you know what, if it's in one of these spots invite me along too because I suggested it in the first place - heck, you can even give me a free Dole Whip.<br />
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By the way, Disney. For these ideas of how to showcase Moana in your flagship resort & theme parks...<br />
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(Also, you totally knew I was going to do that last bit there. Admit it.)</div>
Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-81995483739937219612017-04-04T08:59:00.000-04:002017-04-04T08:59:53.887-04:00It's Been A While - Let Me Give You Something Smurfy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was a kid, one of my favorite cartoons was the "Smurfs". I loved watching it and to this day I even catch myself occasionally humming the "La-La-Lalalala-la-lala-lala" of the theme song. My favorite? Brainy Smurf... maybe it was the glasses or just a bit of an insight into the nerdier side of myself, but he was for sure my favorite - totally smurfy.<br /><br />(Side note: The spellcheck function recognizes the word "Smurfy" which is just absolutely amazing. Moving on.)<br /><br />The one thing that I think has struck everyone though over the years as odd though is that there was only ever one female Smurf. There was Smurfette, the beautiful blonde-haired blue-skinned token chick in the sea of dudes. Why? Why was there only ever one? WHERE ARE ALL THE OTHER FEMALE SMURFS???<br /><br />On April 7th - we will finally have our answer in the new Smurf movie "The Smurfs: The Lost Village": <i><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">"In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy, and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!"</span></b></i><br /><br /><br /><br />
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In just a few short days, our old familiar Smurf friends will be finding the answer that an entire generation has been seeking. I for one am pretty excited to see how they handle finding an entire village of female Smurfs - and am interested to see how Papa Smurf handles an Alpha Female counterpart.<br /><br />For more about this movie, check out their website <a href="http://www.smurfsmovie.com/">www.smurfsmovie.com</a> where you'll find a synopsis of the movie, lots of activities, downloadable desktop wallpaper, and much more. If you have little ones that you might be bringing to the movie, you can make an entire family activity day around the resources on the website - color in a few of the downloadable coloring pages, head out to lunch and view the movie at your local cinema, and then come home to enjoy some Marshroom Houses or Smurfberry Pie (available in the "Recipes" section). If your kids are a bit older/artistic, there's some directions available on how to draw the Smurfs. Want to talk about the movie with your kids? Here's a link to a discussion guide: <a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/smurfsthelostvillage/discussionguide/smurfs_discussion_guide.pdf" target="_blank">Discussion Guide</a><br /><br />There's so much available for this movie that you can have a Smurftastic time no matter what Smurfy thing you decide to do! And let me help you out with this - <b><i>I have 2 tickets to giveaway to one lucky winner!!</i></b> There are 3 ways you can earn an entry:<br /></div>
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<li><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Comment below with something you LOVE about the Smurfs? Brainy's cheekiness? Hefty's "muscles"? Gargamel's cackle? Papa Smurf's odd resemblance to Santa Claus? Whatever it is about the Smurfs - share it below!</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Share this link on Social Media and comment below that you did (if Twitter, add your username). </span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">"Like" Danielle's Brain Bits on Facebook and comment below that you did. </span></b></li>
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<br />I'm totally Smurfed for this giveaway you guys - we're finally going to find out where all the other female Smurfs are!!!<br /><br />Oh - the giveaway closes Thursday April 6th at noon and winner will be announced by midnight on Thursday. The movie opens on Friday, April 7th and the winner will be emailed codes to buy tickets through Fandango that will be good from April 7-16th only.<br /><br />Have a Smurfy Day!<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br /><br />
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): </b>Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.<br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.</span></i></div>
Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-16792004270790896802017-02-07T09:23:00.000-05:002017-02-07T09:24:27.924-05:00Album Review: Kari Jobe's "The Garden"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Can I just tell you guys how excited I was when an opportunity came up to snag a copy of Kari Jobe's latest release "The Garden" to review? I LOVE Kari Jobe's music - her version of "Revelation Song" is one of my favorite songs to blast in the car and worship to when I'm alone. Her song "Healer" is one I first heard at a girls' youth retreat and is one that has spoken to my heart and helped me to see where God can heal even the deepest of wounds and hurts.<br />
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So when the CD arrived in the mail in that bright yellow bubble mailer, I ripped it open and the next day excitedly popped it into my car's CD player (much to the complaints of my kids who would rather be listening to an audiobook or their own worship CD). Over the following week, I listened to it several times and wanted to share some of my thoughts with you about it.<br />
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<b><i>And also offer you a chance to win your own copy - but that's later.</i></b><br />
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If you haven't heard Kari Jobe before, let me just tell you that she has an absolutely hauntingly beautiful voice. You can hear her passion for singing worship in every note that she sings, hear the feelings that are coming from her heart with each lyric. Her latest songs are just as beautiful as those that have come before it; her voice carries through the peaceful music and the lyrics are incredibly reassuring. Each song is a reminder that God is with us, God wants to heal us, God loves us, God lifts us up, God is faithful. One of my favorite verses from the title track says <i><b>"I can see the ivy / Growing through the wall / 'Cause you'll stop at nothing / To heal my broken soul"</b></i>; the entire song is full of lyrics like that, reminding us that God wants to be there for us and help heal.<br />
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In a song that's more of a sung prayer, Jobe cries out for God's help in the third track "Heal Our Land". This is by far my favorite song on the album, I honestly cannot get enough of it. The lyrics <i><b>"Spirit of God / Breathe on your church / Pour out your presence / Speak through your word / We pray in every nation / Christ be Known / Our hope and salvation / Christ alone</b></i><b><i>" </i></b>is a prayer that God come down on his nations and help us to heal. We are living in a time of worldwide and nationwide division, and this song is an incredibly timely prayer. I'm not saying that this would be an awesome song to sing in church - but John Emery, if you're reading this, may I put this one in for consideration for worship one day? (wink wink, nudge nudge)<br />
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From the heartfelt "Miracles" to the passionate "The Cause of Christ", this album is well worth your investment. If you don't believe me - give it a listen. You can preview and grab yourself a copy on iTunes (<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-garden-deluxe-edition/id1192521925?app=itunes" target="_blank">click here</a>) or Amazon (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Kari-Jobe/dp/B01N0XVQ5F/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486476923&sr=8-1&keywords=kari+jobe+the+garden+deluxe+edition" target="_blank">click here</a>) or listen to the album before you seek yourself out a copy on Spotify (<a href="https://play.spotify.com/album/0VlrwygIqoI06z2BTCYuTq?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open" target="_blank">click here</a>). I've already added the entire album to my Worship Music playlist on Spotify because it's truly amazingly beautiful. Or - if you'd rather - enter to win a copy below!<br />
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Here's all you have to do to enter to win a copy of Kari Jobe's "The Garden". It's SUPER easy and everyone can have up to 5 entries!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">1. Like the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/daniellesbrainbitsblog/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel" target="_blank">blog on Facebook</a> (and comment here that you did/do).<br />2. Share this post on Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest and comment here that you did (bonus entry if you share the link to your share post).<br />3. Comment below with your favorite worship song - title & artist (bonus entry if it happens to be a Kari Jobe song).</span></b><br />
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That's it! Contest closes on Sunday, February 12 and winner will be announced/contacted on Monday, Feburary 13 on the blog's Facebook page and be sent a copy of "The Garden" by FlyBy Promotions soon after.<br />
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You guys - get this album. You won't regret it.<br />
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<b>Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): </b>Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.</div>
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Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.</div>
Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-9736243392670274902017-01-22T08:54:00.003-05:002017-01-22T08:54:56.423-05:00Reflections from a Non-Marching Woman<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="e8f66" data-offset-key="1iiou-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="1iiou-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">So, maybe it's how I'm wired - I'm not really sure - but I am not of the opinion that large-scale marches are effective. I feel like activism is more effective in smaller, life-impacting, more personal doses. The concept of a small viral contagion growing and spreading - but more of the positive than the negative. Meetings, conversations, small acts of kindness, respectful debates - those avenues (and ones similar) have always seemed more effective to me.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="chgji-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">For example: My cousin was at the march in Washington yesterday. He posted a video of a guy there giving out free hugs. THAT is the kind of activism I'm talking about - small acts of kindness that know no boundaries. Are you a woman? Have a hug. Are you non-white? Have a hug. Are you white? Have a hug. Are you LGBTQ? Have a hug. Do you have a disability, either visible or silent? Have a hug. Are you a person? Have a hug - no wait, have 2 hugs. Are you a person who is also walking a dog and may I pat your dog on the head or scratch your dog under the chin? Have a hug. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9poms-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">We need more free hugs. At the mall, street corners, hospitals. Just cheerful people in open spaces giving out hugs in a non-creepy, just happy-go-lucky way. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="dcf6i-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Anyways - it's gotta be how I'm wired. It really does. But marching-level activism just isn't my cup of tea. I am more likely to figure out how to be active in my sphere - and in my immediate sphere, I have a daughter that we are teaching and raising to know that she can be and do WHATEVER she sets her mind to, whatever she feels passionate about (and those who know Evie know that I probably couldn't hold her back even if I wanted to). We are teaching both of our children that kindness, love, helpfulness, compassion are the hallmarks of being a human and that UNCONDITIONAL love are what being a Christian is about. We do not judge others, we do not act in unkind ways, we do not bully, we do not hate. We repent when we hurt others and we forgive when we are hurt. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="etqv-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Having said that...</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="b6i15-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">The level of solidarity that was displayed yesterday cannot be overlooked, no matter that others may try to do or say. There were no reports of violence (that I saw), and it was exactly what we expect peaceful protesters to do - even if just seeing the crowds in pictures made my anxiety level go up to a thousand, it's amazing to think that so many people of so many different background came together to stand up for what they believed in. </span></b></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="eug0j-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">But - If the argument is that 3 million more people voted for Clinton than Trump, then why wasn't it more? Where was this energy 6 months ago? Why wasn't there more outcry as scandal after scandal was unsurfaced within the DNC? People took to social media - a medium that frankly has become so numbing to people that they just unfollow those who overpost political arguments they don't agree with. It's rather uneffective anymore. I saw some video of Hilary rallies - the energy looked like milk-toast compared to the energy level of a Trump rally. It was like golf claps versus a Raiders game. Seriously. This is coming from someone who could not get behind either major candidate - I just was shocked at the differences in the energy of the supporters. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="dueik-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">So all of that to say: I hope that this level of peaceful protest and activism can be lived out daily in the lives of every American. A great way to changes lives is to be a change in the life of someone else. Maintain that energy, because there's midterm elections in 2 years and another presidential race in 4. I think that part of the reason that Trump won - honestly - is because we didn't see that level of energy from those who opposed him until it was too late. No one protested until after he won because everyone was convinced that Hilary was going to win, that it was in the bag. Then election night happened - and whether we agree with it or not, the electoral college is how we are set up to operate. It's not going to change any time soon so we need to work with what we've got as far as that goes. If you want to make a difference in someone's life, if you want to actually sway someone's opinion - you need to be in their life as well as in their newsfeed. You need to have that energy before it's too late. Those of you who attended rallies yesterday worldwide and posted pictures talked about the impact of seeing other people come together and the positivity and desire for love and equality and non-judgement that was displayed. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8cnvv-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">That energy can NEVER be felt in a social media newsfeed. You HAVE to get out there. You HAVE to be the change.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="cq476-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Let this be a starting point. The system isn't going to change any time soon and those who want change need to be active within the system. Find a life, change it. We fear what we don't understand (and yes, that's from a Garth Brooks song... in fact... let me close out with a direct quote...)</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9plga-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">"The only answer to the problem is people loving people. That's the enemy of everything that's evil. Ain't no quick fix at the end of a needle, it's just people loving people."</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="51f78-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">Keep up the energy, keep it PEACEFUL, keep it RESPECTFUL, and be the change you want to see in the world EVERY DAY. Don't wait until it's too late. Be "we the people", don't be "we the newsfeed". </span></b></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8t3lc-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">That, after all, is what makes America great.
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Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-86105199478202447172017-01-02T21:29:00.000-05:002017-01-02T21:32:25.411-05:00Book Review & Giveaway: The Beginner's Bible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirizHTFs6pGvzuoDBQ5hZSAgZFta7x2ugFF2WI1TOUe8TMxzKS2fJMPIExeIN7wvOxSHGFqKWI-oRx-LhF3BETWhPvSRQBemre_jYNNAlCYxJNNdnJmCVLOeg8kDJEXw-_MnQtl05DKQQ/s1600/IMG_1865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirizHTFs6pGvzuoDBQ5hZSAgZFta7x2ugFF2WI1TOUe8TMxzKS2fJMPIExeIN7wvOxSHGFqKWI-oRx-LhF3BETWhPvSRQBemre_jYNNAlCYxJNNdnJmCVLOeg8kDJEXw-_MnQtl05DKQQ/s640/IMG_1865.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When my son was born, I began my hunt for an age-appropriate Bible that I could sit and engage with my kids. After much researching and opinion gathering, I narrowed it down to 2 - The Rhyme Bible and The Beginner's Bible - and settled on a copy of The Rhyme Bible. While The Rhyme Bible certainly had a level of engagement appropriate for the under 3 crowd - great rhythm, colorful pictures, and simple language - I was disappointed with the level of detail left out of many of the major stories in scripture. With one of my kids approaching 5 and the other approaching 3, I wanted something that was still age appropriate but more complete in its detail.<br />
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I no sooner had thought to myself "I should look into The Beginner's Bible again" then I got an email from FlyBy Promotions asking if I'd like to receive a copy of the latest edition to review.<br />
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Well... how about that?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNxb63-5S-X0Zlhy8DsUfmgwEgSttz__FTygjtY5wvd1qcU_GN3sdZ977JTQEkLhn1txLBnvAoCwU46JgHc8-0fwWugop25DA7meNTyS0xAkx0vdGY4EqtL-N1eZareA0WE_wk3h35yo/s1600/IMG_1866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNxb63-5S-X0Zlhy8DsUfmgwEgSttz__FTygjtY5wvd1qcU_GN3sdZ977JTQEkLhn1txLBnvAoCwU46JgHc8-0fwWugop25DA7meNTyS0xAkx0vdGY4EqtL-N1eZareA0WE_wk3h35yo/s400/IMG_1866.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
My copy of The Beginner's Bible arrived as I was in the midst of Advent with my little ones and it was the perfect timing. I immediately cracked open to the Christmas story and the first thing I noticed was the the New Testament was clearly separated from the Old Testament. This was something that drove me crazy about The Rhyme Bible; I use that separation in my own personal Bible and find it incredibly useful to have.<br />
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The next thing I noticed is that this Bible reads much more like a story and less like a poem. Not only does it read like a story, it provides many more details to the little ones than the Rhyme Bible did. I love this aspect; having the stories of the Bible simplified for the younger crowd is hugely important, but there still needs to be enough detail to offer a complete story that can be impactful and memorable.<br />
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To continue on the example of the Christmas story - here is something I really appreciated about this Bible. This was the first time I saw the chronology of Jesus' birth story - from his birth to the arrival of the wise men - completely in line with true scripture. I truly appreciated that after the birth of Christ and the angels delivering the news to the shepherds - they did not skip the presenting of Jesus at the temple and the blessing of Anna and then followed it up with the visit from the wise men later on when Jesus was a child. In almost every other presentation of the story - including the famed movie "The Nativity Story - the wise men arrive as part of the events surrounding Jesus' birth.<br />
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The illustrations are very cartoony and the expressions are very well drawn and show the emotions of the stories very well. In the story of when Jesus stays behind at the temple as a child talking to the teachers, when they tell the reader that Mary was distraught that she and Joseph couldn't find Jesus - the drawing shows her with tears and a nervous expression. I love that the illustrations are so in line with the narrative; this is another level of detail that will help to make it stick with the kids in the younger age bracket.<br />
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Overall, I am highly impressed with The Beginner's Bible. The kids have enjoyed looking at the pictures while I read aloud, and the illustrations and prose have already started to spark questions and conversations. Usually when I write a review, I can think of <i>something</i> that I can offer as a pro - and for The Beginner's Bible I cannot think of a negative or a con or even a "meh" to offer up. If you're looking for a Bible that does a great job engaging kids, distilling the important stories of the Bible to a level that is great for kids but still is complete, and is a wonderful way to get your kids to start asking questions about God - grab yourself a copy of The Beginner's Bible.<br />
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Or... OR...<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><b><br />Enter to win a copy for FREE right here on the blog! </b></span><br />
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I'll be giving away ONE copy of The Beginner's Bible to one lucky winner chosen at random. Here's how to enter - you can earn up to 3 entries by doing the following: <br />
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<b><span style="color: #134f5c;">1. Share this post and comment below when you've done so.<br />2. Comment below with the story from the Bible that was your favorite as a kid.<br />3. Follow my blog on Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/daniellesbrainbitsblog/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel" target="_blank">click this link</a>) and comment below when you've done so. </span></b><br />
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Good luck if you enter - and if you're looking for a great Bible for kids, definitely consider getting this one! Oh - one other thing... entries will be open until <b>Friday, January 6 at at 6:00 PM. </b>I'll be announcing the winner by Sunday, January 8 at 9:00 PM at the very latest, but probably sooner.<br />
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For more information about The Beginner's Bible, check out any of the following:<br />
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<a href="http://thebeginnersbible.com/" target="_blank">The Beginner's Bible Official Website</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Zonderkidz.Beginners.Bible" target="_blank">The Beginner's Bible - Facebook</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/BeginnersBible" target="_blank">The Beginner's Bible - Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://a.co/ji7TeMv" target="_blank">The Beginner's Bible - Read more reviews & maybe buy yourself a copy on Amazon</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;"><i class="m_7508249335332826612x_m_2136875310007444072yiv7830283815" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: <br /><br />“Guides Concerning the </i><i class="m_7508249335332826612x_m_2136875310007444072yiv7830283815" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per<wbr></wbr> mailing address, per giveaway<wbr></wbr>. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.</i></span></b><br />
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<br />Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-15936972151280656842016-12-21T14:35:00.000-05:002016-12-21T14:36:46.424-05:00Restaurant Review: Muffins on Main<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I heard that a little muffin bakery had opened within a 5-mile radius of my home that was peanut & treenut free - I had to check it out with my little guy. It's a rare treat to be able to take him to a bakery that's safe for his food allergies and so it seemed like a great opportunity to have a Mom & Son Date. Off we went. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Muffins on Main is a small, simple coffee & muffin shop in the center of town. You can tell that the shop owners want to keep it that way; they (very proudly) do not have WiFi, they have seats for 10 people, and their menu is extremely simple: 10 varieties of muffins & scones, coffee (dark/medium/light), tea, cocoa, and juice. That's it. They have found a focus and you can tell that there is a lot of effort in making sure that they excel at it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><i>The Good:</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The muffins were VERY tasty. My son had decided before we even arrived that he wanted a blueberry muffin and found them in the case as soon as we walked in. I chose a French Breakfast muffin (flavored with nutmeg and then dusted with a cinnamon sugar), and we paired our muffins with a dark roast coffee and a fresh-squeezed orange juice. After we finished our initial order, we brought home 3 more blueberry muffins, a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin, a cranberry orange muffin, and a cranberry white chocolate scone as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's talk about the food itself first. The muffins were wonderful; they were moist and cakey, left behind few crumbs, and had awesome flavors as well. The scone had that biscuit-like texture and buttery flavor without being too dry, which is always a challenge with scones and Muffins on Main did NOT fail at it - to my scone-picky preferences, it was about as close to perfect as a scone can get. We had 2 muffins that survived the first day, and I am happy to report that after staying in a Ziploc bag in the fridge for 2 days, the muffins held up well and were still delicious.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>All smiles after picking a blueberry muffin!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The dark roast coffee was tasty as well and it pleasantly lacked that "burned" taste that some dark roast coffees can have. I also thought it was a nice touch that they have vanilla infused simple syrup as an option for sweetener. The fresh-squeezed orange juice was also great; I stole a sip of my son's (Mom has to check on these things) and it was perfectly sweet. Whatever oranges they're using are the perfect kind for juicing and serving; my son is juice picky and he downed all of it quickly and asked me if he could have some more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I LOVE that they don't have WiFi. After sitting there with my son for a half-hour, you can tell that they are trying to create a small-town bakery/coffee shop culture. There were regulars who came in that they knew by name, they engaged everyone who walked in with pleasant conversation, and there is a sign up encouraging people to free up the limited seating when they finish their muffins. They do NOT want their shop to become a place where people come to settle in and get work done - and I can absolutely appreciate that. It was incredibly refreshing and fit well with the bright, wooden, simply rustic and charming atmosphere achieved with the decor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Customer service was also wonderful. When the baker overheard me talking about my son's allergy, she ran from the back to remind the staff that the outside gluten-free varieties were not safe for my son. The two women working the register were engaging with my 4-year-old son and all smiles to everyone who came in. When I ordered my son's juice, they offered me a second empty glass to make it easier for him to handle without spilling and without my having even thought of it or asking. They were helpful at the end when I ordered my to-go box of goodies and answered all of my questions both in person and on the phone with cheerful demeanors and a willingness to help.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><i>The "Meh":</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is no BAD about this place which is why I am just calling this the "meh" section instead of the "bad" or "cons" section. Both things I'm about to list here have caveats attached to them.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nothing meh about this picture...<br />...except people who waste muffins.</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First is the parking. Muffins on Main does NOT have a parking lot, so once you find the place (easy to do) you'll have the park on the street. The good news is that while parking directly in front of their shop is very limited, there is PLENTY of GOOD street parking in a 1-2 block walk from their front door. Further, Westford (I discovered) does a great job of clearing these spots of snow (we went 2 days after 4-5" of snow fell and all of the spots in the center of town for parking seemed to be cleared and wide). So... yeah, they don't have a parking lot but there's plenty of street parking - "meh".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Second is the size of the muffins. The muffins are $2 each and are not that much bigger than standard muffins that you make at home. I somewhat expected the size of the muffins in a muffins shop to be closer to what you'd get out of an at-home "jumbo" pan, but alas that was not the case. Having said that - they are a little bigger than what you'd make at home and certainly better quality/taste; very fluffy, moist, tasty and well-risen, beautifully shaped muffins are what you get from Muffins on Main. While the price-tag is higher than what you'd get from chain places on lower-quality, bigger muffins - they're better muffins, and from my perspective they're safe for my son to eat. So again - "meh". (Note - the scones were also $2/each and were about average scone size - but above average scone taste.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><i>Verdict:</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We ABSOLUTELY plan on heading to Muffins on Main again (and again and again). It's the perfect place to have little family dates and in the spring we'll grab muffins and then head over to eat them on Westford Common. I highly recommend heading over if you appreciate muffins, coffee, and simplicity (and a double recommendation if you have peanut/treenut allergies and are looking for a safe little place to get a coffee/baked good).<br /><br />*************************<br /><br /><i>Muffins on Main is located at 40 Main Street in Westford, MA and can be found online at <a href="http://www.muffinsonmain.com/">www.muffinsonmain.com</a>.<br /><br />I was not at all compensated or requested to write this review and I have no affiliation to the folks who own/operate the bakery other than I went there once and gave them about $20 of my money in exchange for delicious baked goods & beverages. </i></span></div>
<br />Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-8486805650237232702016-12-02T15:29:00.000-05:002016-12-02T15:29:48.352-05:00Magical<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes I wonder if there will be a time when my family will want to take our annual vacation to someplace other than Walt Disney World.<br />
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Then I realize that it is a magical place, a place where childhood knows no number, where dreams can come true, where comfort comes in many ways, where encouragement is boundless.<br />
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Maybe to you this sounds far-fetched. Maybe to you Disney is just a big corporate monster who use impeccable marketing to suck dry the wallets of those who are too weak to withstand the forces that are at work. Maybe Disney is something you avoid on principle, or maybe you think it's just too corny. Maybe you think that the stories that Disney presents are unrealistic fairy tales and you want to protect your children from the stereotypes perpetuated in every Disney film.<br />
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Or maybe none of that is you. Maybe you're just indifferent to Disney. Maybe your thoughts on Disney are different than what I've listed or you have no opinion whatsoever. Or maybe like me, you have found the magic at work in Walt's timeless kingdom. The heart of a man who was known for calling his employees to perfection, wanting to make sure that all of those who walked through the gates of his theme parks were able to relax, be or become children, to make the experience worth the money that they doled out at the ticket window.<br />
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The first time I went to the Magic Kingdom as an adult I was skeptical. I had only been one other time in my life at 17 years old and the only memory I had was blisters from jelly sandals and getting yelled at by a grouchy dad while clapping at the doll-acrobats with friends as we were stuck on "It's A Small World". At his insistence we arrived at the park for the opening ceremony and we waited outside the Main Street Railroad station, staring upwards waiting for the train to arrive that would signal the opening of the park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me at Epcot pre-kids: 2010</i></td></tr>
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As Casey came down the track, as the faces of so many favorite characters came into view, as the early 1900's-era dancers sang out the refrain of <i>"Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da" </i>while Mickey waved to the onlookers below, as streamers and confetti and fireworks came popping out of strategically placed locations - I froze. I watched. I got chills.<br />
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They had me at "<i>Here comes Casey comin' down the track..." </i><br />
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Over the years until we had kids, Steve and I enjoyed many magical moments over the years at Walt Disney World theme parks. Getting close enough to the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth night show at Epcot to feel the heat of the fireball on our faces. Overcoming my life-long fear of heights on the Tower of Terror. Getting giddy with excitement waiting in line to meet the Genie and bouncing like a child when I saw him pop out of a box in the "Move it, Shake it, Celebrate it! Street Party". Inviting friends to join us for trips not once but twice and making memories there with them as well. Discovering the wonderful world of Disney cuisine and making sure we planned our meals around a stop at the French bakery in Epcot.<br />
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Then... the kids came. That was when we really started to see what is meant when people say Disney is "magical".<br />
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If you want to know what magic is - I mean really and truly - you need to see things of wonder through the eyes of your children. The first time they see Santa in the mall and make your mind up for you about whether or not you'll incorporate him into your Christmas celebrations. The first time they see fireworks light up the night sky. The first time they really understand what happens when they begin to tear back wrapping paper on a birthday gift. The first time they look up at the skies during a snowstorm and let the flakes fall and melt on their faces. The first time they realize they can gain speed on their tricycle by pushing back with their feet and then lift their feet up to let the breeze hit their face. The first time they throw an armful of leaves in the air.<br />
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And if you're insane like our family - the first time they go to Disney world.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Meeting Mickey for the 1st time</i></td></tr>
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We thought for certain that the first time our shy guy saw Mickey Mouse he would cling to our legs, curl into our shoulders, and maybe even cry. Instead the first time we stood in a meet & greet line to see the Mouse he stared intently at Mickey, patiently waiting for his turn. As soon as the words "Go ahead, Will" left our lips, he quietly and with determination made his way to Mickey Mouse and opened his arms for a big hug. Tears came to our eyes as we watched all of our little guy's inhibitions melt away and he hugged and got excited for character after character like they were old friends.<br />
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Our daughter has never been one to sit still for anything. She's constantly moving, always looking for something to climb or listening for music to dance to or chasing after her brother or imagining something that lets her move about freely. The first time we brought the kids to the "Festival of the Lion King" show, she was completely mesmerized. Her high-gear motor was brought to an abrupt halt as she listened to the songs, watched the "tumble monkeys", stared at the fire-spinner, and was enraptured by the various dancers.<br />
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Or maybe the time that Will eagerly ran to Chip & Dale during the "Move it, Shake it, Dance it, Play it! Street Party" and then a day later I had to follow him through a crowd as he hunted down Pluto to dance with him at a holiday dance party. Or when Evie only opens herself up to see Sofia the First, confessing to Sofia that she is "so special" to her, rubbing her arm and hugging her only to politely decline every other character she encounters with an air high-five and a blown kiss. </div>
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Maybe it's the way that chefs treat my 4.5-year-old son like an adult as they talk to him about the foods he likes when they come out of the kitchen to discuss his food allergies with us. Maybe it's the way that cast members treat Steve and I like joyful children when they see us pushing a stroller with napping actual children inside of it.<br />
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Maybe it's the excitement you feel when you're picked for the Indiana Jones show or one of the shows in Epcot or one of the participants for the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor show (which Steve has done the first two and I've done the second - twice).<br />
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The look on your kid's face when they see the "Eiffel Tower" and recognize it from their monthly "Little Passports subscription, and thank you for bringing them to see it with a look of wonder on their face. Even your explanations of it not being the real one can't ruin that moment as they look and tell you "No, no - that's the Eiffel Tower... it's RIGHT THERE."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is me cursing myself for not getting an embarrassing<br />picture of my mother squealing like a child when she saw <br />Winnie the Pooh. Instead, this is us that day<br />in front of the Grand Floridian Christmas Tree.</i></td></tr>
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Maybe it's the way my own mother - who had never met a Disney character in her life before she came to a character breakfast with us - squealed with delight when Winnie the Pooh and Tigger walked into the room. And the way she casually dismissed it later like it was "just excitement for her grandchildren" and laughed when I called her on it. And the way her face lit on on the way to said breakfast when she saw Cinderella's Castle for the first time from the monorail - because the wonder of Walt Disney World knows no age limits.<br />
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Or perhaps it's the customer service. The way a cast member will chase you down with a full bucket of popcorn after you spill your almost empty one or they give you 2 "FasterPasses" and $10 on the rare occasion when you've been let down by their service or when they see that you're getting frustrated on the phone with an airline so they give your kids tiaras/hats/stickers to entertain them or when - just because you were nice to them - they ask their manager to give you an uber-FastPass to be able to do a kid-switch on a popular ride without waiting in line.<br />
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Or the way you feel the first time you watch that opening show at the Magic Kingdom with your kids on your shoulders, hoping they can feel the magic as the fireworks explode after the countdown to open the gates.<br />
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Even going to one of their local ice or stage shows is a sight to behold, with costumed characters' mouths moving, perfected choreography, and making sure that Disney Magic is accessible to those around the country who may never have the opportunity to make it to one of their theme parks. The faces of the children when Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and the rest of the Disney favorites come out from behind curtains and wrap the audience in their favorite songs, stories, and fantasies of the Disney "universe".<br />
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I get it. I get that whatever Walt Disney's original intents of the experience provided to his customers were may or may not still be there. I get that Disney overcharges you for waters (but let you bring your own into the parks) and the price of park admission is incredibly high and that you can get Disney t-shirts so much cheaper at Walmart, Target, or JCPenney. I get that they seem to be taking over all of the things with their hands in ABC, ESPN, Star Wars, Marvel... etc.<br />
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And I honestly don't care. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>THIS IS MAGIC! Pure magic!</i></td></tr>
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This last trip, my kids who normally either get incredibly excited for or politely decline with an air-high-five interactions with characters both physically recoiled at the sight of the boisterous Drizella (one of Cinderella's wicked stepsisters) bounding around the room. "Mom! I don't like her! She's MEAN!" my son declared - loudly. When she reached our table, I ran interference and quietly said to the actress "The kids are nervous". She nodded, looked at the kids, put her hands on her hips, and declared "Well! It's a good thing I'm good at this!". She toned down her volume, gently approached the kids, gave me a hug, and went on her way.<br />
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Normally when this has happened at a breakfast - usually with Evie with a character that has come up behind her - the character actor/actress has given the child space and does not return to the table.<br />
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Not Drizella. She kept making sure she stopped at our table every time she walked by. She talked with the kids, checked in with them, asked if they'd seen Cinderella, made sure she was near us when the Prince walked into the room, and by the time we were ready to leave she had Will out of his chair on the floor with her checking out the knee-length bloomers she wears as part of her costume, comparing them to his shorts. Evie was even willing to give her a real high-five by the end of the meal.<br />
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Disney Magic.<br />
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I subscribe to it, I believe in it. On small levels like imagining at home in princess dress or watching movies with microwave popcorn to large levels like watching your kid melt into Cinderella's eyes when she asks if he will give her a kiss (then yelling at his 4-year-old self for the missed opportunity when he doesn't).<br />
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Disney... please... take my money. Thank you for using it remind me of the childlike parts of myself. Thank you for creating nostalgia and joy in the heart of my husband. And thank you for helping my kids uncover and grow parts of themselves with every interaction.<br />
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Here's another $20. Just take it for existing. Seriously.<br />
<b><br /><i><span style="color: #45818e;">(Disclaimer: No, Disney did not pay me to write this post. They didn't ask me to - I'm not a famous blogger, I have an average audience of 80-100 reads per post - and they don't need to. Enough people buy into what they're selling on a daily basis that people like me write about it anyways. Would it be nice if they saw this and invited me to a Disney Bloggers or Social Media event - sure - but it's not likely to happen. Let's be honest. Maybe they'll send me a coupon for a free Tsum Tsum or something though... nah, that won't happen either. Free Dole Whip? Churro? Mickey ice cream bar? No? Ok, I'll stop now.)</span></i></b></div>
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Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-89454195988117216322016-11-15T14:14:00.000-05:002016-11-15T14:35:57.136-05:00Top 5 Things I Won't Miss About the Toddler/PreK PhaseIn approximately a week and a half I'll begin the process hated by parents everywhere of training my child to use the toilet and no longer urinate and defecate at will in their pants. Seriously - have you ever heard a parent say "Boy, I can't wait to start potty training!" because I certainly haven't.<br />
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Potty training is tedious, frustrating, and boring. I would rather wake up every 2 hours to nurse again, and I've already shared my thoughts with you all <a href="http://daniellesbrainbits.blogspot.com/2016/07/when-i-look-back-i-feel.html" target="_blank">about babyhood and not missing it</a>.<br />
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But... since kids can't crap their pants forever... here I am, getting ready to potty train my daughter - the more headstrong of my two children - and release her from the chains of the diaper.<br />
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And this has got me thinking. I LOVE this phase with my kids. They're adorable, they play together really well, they haven't gotten a verbal filter yet so some of the things that come out of their mouths are hilarious, they're discovering how things work and how to navigate the world and take healthy risks. They're at the perfect age for short day trips and still nap in the car allowing us to take longer adventures sometimes. And the best part - they still think I'm cool and awesome, and so there are pretty much endless snuggles, hugs, kisses, high-fives, and silliness abounds.<br />
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There are things, however, that I won't miss about this stage. And so I give you, in no particular order...<br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">1. Diapers </span></b>- Since I've already opened this door, I might as well close it. I've managed to find decent diapers at a good price at our closest Aldi's, but I'm still spending $37.47 for 216 diapers for one kid each month. That's $449.64 in diapers for an entire year - and I just recently found them at that price, which means I had been paying more than that. So let's say $500-600/year on diapers for ONE kid, and for Evie's first year of life I was diapering 2 kids. Go on and vomit now on how much I've spent in diapers, and if you've got more than two kids go on and vomit twice. Do you have any idea what I could be doing for FUN with $500-600/year with my kids? Like... a lot of things. that's what. Never mind that there's very little appealing about wiping up a behind full of squished, disgusting poop that either I didn't smell or a kid didn't alert me to right away and is now smeared all over their behind rather than being in a nice neat little patty with simple wiping required for cleanup. As much as I hate potty training, it's temporary and then I won't have to worry about diapers again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pro Tip Find a "family restroom" with a single<br />toilet and a mirror. Entertainment!<br />(as long as they don't lick it...)</i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">2. Wiping Behinds in General:</span></b> My 4.5-year-old son started potty training when he was 3 and recently has gotten tall enough (he's a little guy) to be able to stand up to pee at the toilet or at a little kid urinal. This has given him more independence in going to the bathroom and along with this more confidence. Mom, however, has not let go of the reigns when it comes to wiping his behind after a number-2 evacuation. I just... I don't quite trust his balance to reach back to wipe his bum without falling in the toilet yet. But he has a knack of knowing the exact wrong times to sneak into the bathroom to drop a deuce... like when I'm in the middle of washing dishes or my personal favorite - changing his sister's smooshed, disgusting, poopie diaper (because she can never have an easy poopie diaper when her brother needs to take a crap). Yes, I look forward to the days of not needing to assist in the bodily waste process on a regular basis, saving those efforts for the times when they're sick and can't quite make it to the bathroom in time.<br />
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I'll add to this that I also won't miss when going to the bathroom outside of the home becomes a family parade affair. I was standing outside a public restroom in Ogunquit this summer while waiting for my husband to come out and struck up a conversation with a mom who was waiting for her son. She wasn't with him. He was just going to the bathroom. I put that one in the "things to look forward to" column, even if she was standing outside the door yelling in to make sure that he was OK. She wasn't trying to juggle several small kids in a small stall knowing all the while that a line was accumulating outside the door, listening to you repeat the words "don't - NO - do not touch that!" several times in an increasingly impatient voice with every repetition.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Most Likely to Need a Boogie Wipe"</i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">3. Snot: </span></b>Another fantastic way to pay for my kids' post-high school training/education would be for a quarter to drop out of the sky every time I hear some variation of the phrase "Mom, I need a boogie wipe". Now look, I'm lucky in that both of my kids have always been great about actually blowing their nose and not just inhaling it back into their heads, and they're good about asking for a wipe as soon as it drips halfway between their nose and their mouth so it's not getting all over their face. But at peak cycle during a cold - especially if both of them have it - I hear those words at LEAST 25 times a day. Or more. I've never really counted. It's a lot. So I patiently wait for the days when they are tall enough to reach the tissues (and I trust them not to make a disastrous mess of tissues everywhere) and blow their own nose on their own time.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>4. Everything Is Dangerous: </b></span>My 4-year-old son is a fairly compliant child. If you tell him something is dangerous and he shouldn't do it, he tends - and always has - to retain that information and avoid the thing like the plague. As such, he's never gone through my purse and I'd never had an issue leaving it in reach. My 2-year-old daughter, on the other hand, is the kind of kid who needs to learn and investigate things for herself in order to be satisfied - she is the "let me check and see" type of kid. As such things get pretty... heart-attack-inducing sometimes. I now need to put my purse on a high shelf at home because I walked out of the bathroom the other day to find my 2-year-old daughter had gone into my bag (a punishable offense alone for many reasons) and went to the bottom of it, got out the EpiPen, removed it from its medical bag AND its plastic storage casing, and when I walked out of the bathroom had removed the safety cap and was trying to reinsert it where it belonged (and by the way - touching the EpiPen is also a punishable offense because of the seriousness of misuse). This same child several days later had managed to reach high up on the counter (again - touching things on the counter without permission is a punishable offense here because they can't see what they're reaching at yet and may get hurt), pull down a bottle of gummy vitamins, remove the "childproof" cap, and begin to eat them (she's fine).<br />
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There will be a time when my children will know not to touch a stove incorrectly, be able to discern medicine from food, respect our private spaces like purses and special keepsake boxes, not write on each other with markers, how to properly handle a knife, and just generally not be a menace to their own safety. That time is not now... but when it comes, it will be nice to not constantly feel like at some point today I'll be calling 911 or taking a trip to the walk-in or ER.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Evie... you need to give her boobs."</i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b style="color: #45818e;">5. Lack of Filter: </b>I sometimes love the things that come out of my kids as a result of not having a filter yet... BUT. L</span>ast night while drawing, my 2-year-old daughter announced "Mom! I'm drawing you! I made you a vagina!" To this my 4-year-old son looked over and said "Mom, she did, she drew <br />
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you a circle vagina... Evie, you need to give her boobs." When we're at home I tend to have a little more grace with this; they're little, they're learning about their bodies, and the last thing I want is for them to be ashamed of their bodies or to think that their bodies are weird and horrible. But there's also a line for appropriateness that we try to teach them... vaginas and boobs are private parts, kids, and we don't just go parading them around, so please don't ever draw those on your school work because they're special private parts. Or when my kids watch out the window of a Burger King at someone parking their car near ours and then waits until the drivers come in to say as loud as they can "Hey Dad! Those guys did a very bad job parking... they're not even in the LINES!!" Look... guys... it's not that adults don't giggle like kids at the words "vagina" and "penis" or mutter under their breath "Geez... what a horrible parking job..."... it's just that we have filters now. And so we're not used to this lack of filter that you all have. So while the penis/vagina/butt talk and humor kind of makes me laugh a little bit, I am going to continue to pray daily that you don't start shouting it out in the middle of Target - which, by the way, thanks for (so far) not shouting those things out in the middle of Target.<br />
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Crap... there was that time you asked me rather loudly if Mickey Mouse was a boy and did he have a penis... never mind.<br />
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Look, I know that each phase as their things that you worry about or won't miss or don't want to deal with - I won't even get into the things I'm already worried about for the teenage years. And while these things are annoying, frustrating, and heart-attack-inducing - this is certainly an incredibly sweet phase that I am enjoying the heck out of and it may end up being my favorite once they're all grown up. The fascination, the snuggles, the sweet voices, the tiny hands, the crawling into bed with me at 5:00 AM and going back to sleep curled up with a little one in my "spoon"... it's an amazing stage of life and overall - I love it.<br />
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But let's be honest.<br />
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<b><i>Diapers are seriously the worst.</i></b>Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-52326749117849586992016-10-31T15:06:00.002-04:002016-10-31T15:06:56.528-04:00Stop It <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm going to preface this entire post by saying that I do not support either of the two major party candidates. I just don't. I think that they are both wonderfully suited for jobs other than the one that they are appealing to all of us to pick them for.<br /><br />That's important, because I really and truly do not want any comments about why I should or shouldn't vote for one or the other - everyone reading this post has already made up their minds. There is very little that's going to sway people to go to the other side at this point - and 20% of registered voters either plan on or already have voted ahead of the scheduled election on November 8th. So... save that, put it in your pocket, and wait to persuade each other for the next election.<br /><br />Now. I have something important to say.<br /><br />Everyone needs to stop. Myself included - but we all need to stop.<br /><br />Did you know that Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump are human beings? Real ones. With spouses. And jobs. And children.<br /><br />And mistakes.<br /><br />Because none of us have ever made mistakes, have we?<br /><br />And here's where I need to tell all of you to stop again. I don't want to hear "But we're not running for the President of the United States" or "But we're not in the public eye" or any of that business. I've said those things too and recently I realized how incredible wrong and horrible and judgmental all of that is.<br /><br />They are human. They are sinners. They are imperfect.<br /><br />There's a story in the Bible about a woman who is surrounded by people with stones in their hands. She's on the ground and everyone is about to stone her because she's committed adultery - in those days a crime punishable by death, not just a messy divorce or breakup. Then Jesus shows up and the way the story plays out the woman gets to walk away without a single stone being cast.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><i>"...so he stood up and said 'All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone... When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up and said 'Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?'" (John 8:7-10)</i></span></b><br /><br />Everyone - put your stones down. Just stop it. You are not perfect either, and there are so many more ways to point out that a person is not qualified or preferred for a job rather than attacking their character. And yes, I understand that character is a huge part of what makes a president - but find a way to say it that allows a person to grow, change, and improve. You can condemn a behavior without condemning the person, and as incredibly hard as that can be sometimes - and believe me, people feel SO strongly about these two candidates that it's hard for either set of supporters to not tear the one they don't support to shreds - it's important. At the end of the day Donald Trump is a person. At the end of the day Hillary Clinton is a person.<br /><br />And stop it. Stop it reader. I know right now you're saying "No, they're a monster". Stop it. Seriously stop it. Both candidates have had their behavior incredibly sensationalized in an effort to draw your attention to the strengths or weaknesses of one or the other. That's the way the media works, it's what they get paid to do. So stop it.<br /><br />The world of social media has made it so much easier to depersonalize people, even people like presidential candidates who were already fairly distant from us. Prior to social media, most of us would have to wait for the news three times daily or a mailing or attend one of their rallies or town-hall events or hope they'd show up at our local diner and shake our hand. More than I can ever remember, it's gone beyond the candidates just attacking each other - we are attacking the candidates viciously and if anyone dares to disagree with us: we are attacking each other.<br /><br />We are forgetting that we are all people, and we are forgetting that all of us - even those who seem the most vile - need to be loved.<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">"You have heard the law that says 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy'. But I say love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in Heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and unjust alike." (Matthew 5:43-45)</span></i></b><br /><br />OK, OK. I'm almost done. So we're all human, we're called to love our enemies... that just leaves one more thing.<br /><br />One of these two people is going to be the next President of the United States. That's the reality, whether we like it or not. One of them is going to win. One of them is going to swear on the Holy Bible to protect, honor, and defend the Constitution of the United States.<br /><br />And we're all going to have to live with that. We're all going to have to spend the next 4-8 years with this person as the one who will be running our country. Then we'll have to start this process all over again. Because that's how it works.<br /><br />In the meantime we need to not implode on ourselves as a country. It is in our best interest to unite together, to remember that we are ALL children of God, to pray together for each other, for our leaders, and for our country. We have to pray for peace, for understanding, and most importantly - we have to pray that we can all learn to first act in love rather than fear, in hate, in anger.<br /><b><i><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><br />"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:34-35)</span></i></b><br /><br />Listen - when November 9th hits and we know definitively who will be entering the Oval Office next January, we have a choice. We can either unite together and pray for our next President of the United States, or we can continue to focus on that which divides us and make those divisions even deeper. I for one will be choosing to pray for our next leader. To pray that person will be surrounded with men and women who will have the country's best interest in mind, that their hearts will be open to hearing the advice of those around them, that they will be measured and reasonable and compassionate in their responses and actions. That they will do their best to be good stewards of the finances God has blessed this country with. That they will do their best to come to the aid of those in need - the orphans and widows of the world. That they will see past the differences of the people who live in this country and focus instead on what unites us.<br /><br />And yes, I know your candidate will and theirs won't. All of you stop it.<br /><br />Neither Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton are a Savior, and it's time we stop treating them as such. They are people. They are flawed. They need our prayers, they need our encouragement, oh - and they need our prayer.<br />
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No matter what the outcome of the election is.<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity." (1 Timothy 2:1-2)</span></i></b><br /><br />Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-88997772396521209352016-10-26T14:44:00.000-04:002016-10-26T14:44:33.047-04:00Lies, Guilt, Freedom, and Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we found out that we were pregnant with our second child, I immediately started to pray for another son. I just felt like my heart was wired to have 2 boys, that God did not wire me to be the mom of a daughter, and that having that extra person to wrestle with - especially during the hours of the day that Daddy is at work - for my firstborn would be absolutely perfect.<br />
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At 16 weeks, we had an ultrasound done due to some complications I was experiencing with the pregnancy. I told the technician that I knew that sometimes at 16 weeks you could tell the gender, and that if anything was obvious she didn't have to hide it from us because in 2 weeks we were going to find out anyways. There was a point in which she stopped the wand and pointed out on the monitor something she thought she saw: "Look at this," she said pointing at the screen. "Now, it's early to tell, but that certainly does look like something doesn't it? But don't start decorating yet, wait until your next ultrasound because I could be wrong."<br />
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I didn't start decorating - but I did start picking out and discussing names with my husband. Names like "Matthew" and "Xander" and "Dexter" and other names that you call a boy. I was over the moon with excitement because we were going to have another little boy! ANOTHER BOY! I was going to be one of those Moms of Boys who were always lamenting the troubles of having boys - but I was never going to lament, because BOYS!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Evie - 12/2013 ultrasound</i></td></tr>
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Two weeks later, the full workup ultrasound happened. While my incredibly active baby flipped and flopped and the tech somehow managed to get all of the measurements she needed, she looked also for the gender indicator.<br />
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"Right there!" she declared. I looked and saw nothing. Nothing at all. Two chunky little spread eagle thighs that she had frozen on the screen.<br />
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"Right there what?"<br />
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"You're having a little girl! Look at that, see - one, two, three - those three little lines show me that you're having a girl."<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #45818e;">...and my heart sank</span></i></b>. There would be no "Matthew Dexter" puttering around my house (it was the name I had decided on even though there had been no agreement yet with my other half). There would be no addition of testosterone to the fold.<br />
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I feigned excitement. "Cool! A girl!" I said (or something like that). I buried my disappointment and just prayed that the remainder of the pregnancy go well, that the hematoma I had would resolve itself and cause no harm on my little girl. We prayed over a name for her and scoured baby name books (because we didn't like any of the family names we had as first names for a daughter) and waited. At 28 weeks or so - the day before we found out the hematoma had indeed resolved itself - we landed on the name Evangeline, which means "bearer of good news".<br />
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Yet here I was, disappointed that I had a daughter growing in my belly. And the first few months of her life she just cried - the child that refused to believe she was a baby, was stubborn and independent and determined from the day she was born. Not only had God given me a daughter - He had given me a daughter that was every mother's wish to their own children: she was just like me.<br />
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Somewhere around Evie's first birthday as her personality was really starting to form and that independence was forming into an active, bouncing, exploring toddler who was the best companion her big brother could have ever asked for... the guilt set in.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>How could I have EVER questioned God's judgment in giving us a daughter? What kind of mother am I to have been disappointed with any sort of healthy child growing inside me - especially when I didn't think I could have one successful pregnancy, never mind two? What would my daughter say if she ever found out that I was disappointed that SHE is my child and that I didn't get a "yes" answer to my prayers of another boy? Why would I think that anyone other than who God gifted to our family would be a better friend and sibling to Will than our Evie-girl? </b></span></i><br />
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I spent the next year wrestling with this guilt, this doubt of my worth as a mother in ever questioning the gift of my bright, bold, loving, loquacious, adorable, wonderful daughter. Anyone who has ever dealt with "Mom-Guilt" or "Parent-Guilt" knows that it can be some of the heaviest, most self-doubt creating, horrible brands of guilt that exists. It's like the glitter of emotions; once it covers something or enters your heart, it's near impossible to get rid of it - and when you think it might be gone you find more that's even more impossible to remove than the glitter you thought you already got rid of.<br />
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There were a few times that I would be watching my daughter in some sort of moment, something that was showing how she was growing and developing into this absolutely wonderful little person, and I would feel that gut-punch of guilt again at the doubt I had when she was still in-utero. So many times I would hold back tears because the guilt would come out of nowhere, in a wave, and I wouldn't know how to contain it.<br />
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Then one night as I was making dinner somewhere around my sweet Evangeline's seccond birthday, my guilt seeped through enough that my husband saw that something was wrong. I confessed to him these waves of guilt I would feel, that I hated that part myself for ever doubting God's plan in our daughter, that I wished I had never felt that way.<br />
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"D," he said, "I think it's time to let that go. Do you love your daughter?"<br />
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"Well... yeah, of course, I mean... look at her - she's Evie."<br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">"Then? Let it go, D. You know God has. And I don't ever doubt that you love her. So? Let it go."</span></b><br />
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We prayed together that night about it. I prayed about it for a while after that and I know that Steve did too. I know this because at some point the guilt just... disappeared. I hadn't noticed it at all, but it had just withered away and disappeared like dust on a windy day. There was no second thought about it until the other day when I was laughing and giggling with my Evie on the couch and I got this overwhelming wave of emotion - but it wasn't guilt. It was joy, it was wonder, it was love. Then again a few days later as I listened to her telling me a story in a language structure that no 2.5-year-old should have yet. Joy, wonder, and love.<br />
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These moments kept happening again and again and again. Joy. Wonder. Love. Joy. Wonder. Love. It was during one of these moments that it hit me: the guilt was gone.<br />
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God had taken the guilt off of my shoulders and opened my eyes to the wondrous gift of our little girl. He removed that weight of self-doubt and instead opened my heart to experience that which He wants all parents to experience with children. Joy. Wonder. Love.<br />
<span style="color: #45818e;"><br /><b><i>In that realization I felt so much freedom. Freedom to enjoy my daughter, to focus on building my relationship with her, freedom to experience the joy of having a daughter and the freedom that comes with having confidence that God's plan is indeed better than any plan we could imagine. </i></b></span><br />
Moms... Dads... Parents... we all experience guilt in our parenting, am I right? Sometimes we snap at our kids when we lose our patience or we forget about something that we said we would do or we don't pay as much attention as we feel like we should or whatever other list of things we beat ourselves up over in any given moment or day or week. We forget to have grace with ourselves, to remember that we are human and imperfect, that we will never be able to be one of those fictional parents that have been created by society as the flag-bearer of perfection in parenting.<br />
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We also forget that when parent-guilt sets in, when we start to experience self-doubt, when we hear those whisperings that we have somehow failed and that because of that failure we cannot be the parent God has called us to be - we forget that those words, those feelings do not come from God. We forget that those are lies, that those feelings are not the truth, that those are things that come from the Enemy. <span style="color: #45818e;"><b>John 8:44 tells us of Satan that "...He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding on to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he speaks, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." </b></span><br />
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Lies of self-doubt are not of God. There are plenty of kinds of healthy guilt that DO indeed come from God - but that weighty, paralyzing, self-doubting, inescapably burdensome guilt is not. That is not the kind of guilt meant to make us grow, to repent from our sin and become closer to Him. Rather, that is is the kind of guilt that further divides us from God and brings us off of the path He has set for our lives. We need to be able to recognize when our guilt - especially that horrible parent-guilt - is not of God so that we can pray, combat it, and be released from it. Only then will we be able to hear the Holy Spirit work in our hearts and do the work in our parenting that God has called us to do.<br />
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Evangeline - "bearer of good news".<br />
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And here I thought that good news she brought with her was just that we chose her name the same time that the hematoma was one... turns out it was so, so much more than that.<br /><br />Joy. Wonder. Love.</div>
Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-89024620189609214162016-10-07T23:24:00.000-04:002016-10-14T14:32:33.308-04:00Book Review: Every Day with God (A VeggieTales Book)<b>**Contest is closed and we have a winner!! Stephy has been notified - please stay tuned for future contests and read the review below for information on how to get a copy of this wonderful devotional!**</b><br /><br />About a year ago, I started a search for a bedtime devotional that I could read with my son. I looked through bookstores, I searched online, I asked other moms... what I found were some really cute, really engaging devotionals for children but nothing that really fit my son's personality.<br />
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So when the opportunity came up to review the <a href="https://amzn.com/1617958050" target="_blank">Every Day with God: 365 Devos for Boys</a> (<a href="https://amzn.com/1617958042" target="_blank">or Girls</a>) VeggieTales daily devotional book - I took the opportunity. Will has recently gotten a bit more interested in VeggieTales thanks to some music CD's and Spotify streaming music we've been listening to, so I thought that this might be a good way to engage him a bit more in the process.<br />
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Turned out it did.<br />
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The devotionals are short (only about a paragraph long), use simple language that kids can understand, and ask easy questions which is perfect for the 4-year-old who is trying to calm down at bedtime. Each one has a scripture presented in a translation that makes it easy for my kiddo to relate to it and a prayer starter that is a great segue into the nightly prayers that we were already doing together. There are illustrations on each page that repeat throughout the book of one of the VeggieTales characters, but they're cute and it gives my son something to look at besides words.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3k0uRQ6bBNwWs9R0cpUkyspsa8gszF8ZJ0xZ0WHGw9wemeSSGsjUfXk2UqiJp7oO6Vg6sVOp9CyGMFMnd0oOYigWdk_iU350wqjtfuFTBYrwB6R5CL3KWVYWflXee2BVw4pVESmd1ah0/s1600/335389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3k0uRQ6bBNwWs9R0cpUkyspsa8gszF8ZJ0xZ0WHGw9wemeSSGsjUfXk2UqiJp7oO6Vg6sVOp9CyGMFMnd0oOYigWdk_iU350wqjtfuFTBYrwB6R5CL3KWVYWflXee2BVw4pVESmd1ah0/s320/335389.jpg" width="220" /></a><br />
Another added bonus to the way the book is presented: the first letter of each devotional is larger than the rest, bold, and a different color from the rest of the text. Whenever I've read with my son, the first thing he does on the page is point out the letter and either identify it or ask what it is, repeat it, and then we make the sound together. As if the simple language and easy questions weren't enough, the simple format of the page makes it another great tool for engaging your preschooler in conversation.<br />
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Kids feel that they need to identify with things, and my kids have decided that one of the things that will define them is their gender. The first thing that Will ever said he wanted to be when he grew up was "a man", and so I was not surprised that he became very possessive of the devotional when I told him it was a "for boys" devotional. Having said that - do not be fooled by the title; if you decide to purchase or receive one of these as a gift or, oh, I don't know, win one in a blog giveaway and you have kids of multiple genders in your home - worry not. The devotionals themselves are as gender neutral as they can get; they have a key scripture, a discussion of how the scripture applies to and can be lived out in their lives, and a prayer starter. This could make it a great devotional for a family devotional time as well if your kids are all younger and not quite into the "well that's my thing and this is their thing" possessiveness phase yet. I cannot speak for the "for Girls" version of the devotional as I haven't seen it personally, but I would imagine it's quite similar in its format and delivery.<br />
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The best thing about this - or any devotional book really - is that it allows the parent to sit and pray and talk about God with your child. Very quickly my son wanted to have his devotional and prayer time by himself with whatever parent was putting him to bed and we had to separate out each kid's prayer and devotional time. It's brief, but even that 5-10 minutes with your child talking about God, praying, and spending 1-on-1 time together can have such an impact longer term.<br />
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Or... so I've been told. I mean, my kids are only 4 and 2, but I've heard that longer-term impact is achieved by early beginnings.<br />
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All of that to say - I definitely recommend this devotional if you've got little ones at home. The recommended ages from the publisher say ages 4-7, and I would agree. My son doesn't answer the questions very in-depth now when we read, but I can imagine that over the next couple of years as we go through and restart every year his answers will change, mature, and have different insights that are age appropriate. Definitely click on the links at the end of this post to check it out if you're looking for a simple, approachable, and engaging devotional for your family (that's also reasonably priced! $10 or less!).<br />
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OR...<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;">You could enter to win your own copy!! Entry is VERY simple. All you have to do is...</span></i></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #134f5c;">1. Share this post on Twitter or Facebook and comment below that you did.<br />2. "Like" this post on Facebook or Twitter and comment below that you did.<br />3. Comment below with your favorite daily devotional or scripture or ritual that gets you through the daily grind. </span></b><br />
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That's up to 3 entries per person to win your very own copy of this adorable devotional for your kiddo or a family with little ones as a gift. Go on and enter! Winner will receive a copy from FlyBy Promotions of EITHER devotional - "for Boys" or "for Girls" - you just have to let me know when I announce the winner.<br />
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<b>UPDATE - DEADLINE EXTENDED!! Contest will be open until 12:00 AM on Wednesday, October 12 and winner will be announced no later than 12:00 AM on Friday, October 14 on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/daniellesbrainbitsblog/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel" target="_blank">my blog's Facebook page.</a> I'll contact the winner as well. </b><br />
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<b><i>Links for your reference: </i></b><br />
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<a href="https://amzn.com/1617958050" target="_blank">Every Day with God: 365 Daily Devotionals for Boys</a><br />
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<a href="https://amzn.com/1617958042" target="_blank">Every Day with God: 365 Daily Devotionals for Girls</a><br />
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<i>"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the<br />Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant <wbr></wbr>per mailing address, per <wbr></wbr>giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”</i></div>
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Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-9633260800332476652016-10-04T09:41:00.000-04:002016-10-04T09:41:55.782-04:00At the PlaygroundSometimes in New England you get beautifully warm days. Days that are not hot, but certainly not the chill that makes you want to wrap a sweater snugly around your shoulders. These are the perfect days to enjoy the fall in New England; the perfect days to take in the changing leaves, to breathe in the smell of the season, and to enjoy what the fall has to offer.<br />
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Incidentally, this year my mom has arranged a lengthy visit that also coincides with the best season in New England - which allows us to bring her along to show her some of the cute places that we've discovered over the course of the summer. Yesterday I decided that after dropping Will off at preschool, my 2-year-old daughter and I would bring her Nana to Twin Bridge Park in Merrimack, NH. It's a small park with some smaller trails that are perfect for little ones and with this year's drought, the rocks that are normally covered in water from the brook that flows through there are exposed and lend to some simple rock climbing too. When I saw the weather for yesterday - sunny, high 60's, no rain - I knew it would be a good morning for a walk.<br />
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As it turns out, this park also includes a large, castle-like playground.<br />
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When we pulled into the parking lot, my 2-year-old daughter launched into her requests. "Mom, can we go to the playground?"<br />
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Not wanting to just stand around a playground wondering which turret my daughter had disappeared to in a given moment, I said "No, Sweetie not today. Mommy and Nana want to go for a walk and so we are going to go for a walk."<br />
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This back-and-forth continued into the first several minutes of the walk. Finally I realized I needed to make the woods a playground - and fast - or this wasn't going to let up and the walk was going to drive me crazy.<br />
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"Hey - did you know that God made these trees? And that water over there? And the rocks?"<br />
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"No..."<br />
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"Well, He did. He made all of the things in the woods. This is God's playground. We're in GOD'S PLAYGROUND. So see, we're already at the playground!"<br />
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Within 5 minutes my daughter was jumping off of railroad ties with Nana and chucking acorns and rocks into the brook. Not another word was spoken of the playground until we were leaving and it was back in sight again - and when I told her that we didn't have time because we needed to go get her big brother at school, she let it go.<br />
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Look, playgrounds are beautiful, wonderful things. I have many a memory of swinging high and jumping off, of trying to climb up hot metal slides and figuring out the best way to slide down without burning my legs, of pretending structures are forts and hiding out with my friends. I watch as my kids declare their favorite small play structure at a local playground their "Bucky" (it's a pirate ship from one of their cartoons), climb up slides, hang from bars, and laugh with joy as they swing on the swings. The advent of indoor playgrounds means my kids get to experience the joy of inflatable slides more regularly than my generation ever did. I love a good playground and my kids do too.<br />
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Sometimes, though, we need to take the time and look at what was created well before an engineer ever took pencil to paper and designed a set of monkey bars.<br />
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God created the heavens and the earth and everything that fills it - including us. For me, the place I have felt closest to God is when I am sitting at the side of the sea; the quiet whisper of the waves, the cool of the water, the gentle touch of the breeze, and the vastness of width and depth of the ocean. For those who love hiking, standing at the top of a mountain taking in all that God created below them is where they feel closest to Him. There are so many places in the world that show the beauty and wonder of the nature that God created, so many things to discover and explore. One of my kids' favorite shows is "Dinosaur Train", and at the end of every episode the paleontologist says "Get outside, get into nature, and make your own discoveries". I LOVE this - God has placed so many things in nature that even if you go to the same place every day there is always something new to see, explore, observe, and wonder at.<br />
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So this little girl who so desperately wanted to go to a playground stood at the edge of a little pool of water yesterday, tossing different sized rocks in with different forces. Some of the rocks created such a splash that droplets of water came up and tickled her face. Then Nana threw a REALLY BIG rock, and the splash was so big that a bit of mud got on Evie's face, Mommy's pants got a little wet, and everyone laughed. When the tossing of rocks got boring (briefly, it's actually amazing to me how long kids can just stand there throwing rocks into water), we paused and looked at the pool and saw some tiny fish swimming around. She climbed on rocks and picked up sticks bigger than she was and jumped off of boulders and looked down from bridges into the brook below.<br />
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We had so much fun together and experiences in nature are things that no manufactured playground can offer. We are wired to discover, to delight in the world, and to share in all that God created. There is joy to be had when we open our eyes, our hearts, and are willing to stretch ourselves to let God give us the gifts of His handiwork.<br />
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Get out into God's playground today, find where He pulls your heart, and enjoy all that He has created.Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-90215977101601106042016-09-03T14:42:00.006-04:002016-09-03T14:48:00.953-04:00Book Review: "Night Night Farm" by Amy Parker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every night we read to our kids and have since they were old enough to have an established nightly routine. We put on pajamas, we brush our teeth, we go potty and change diapers, we read a story, we pray, and then we read one or two more stories before we ultimately tuck-in. Whenever an opportunity arises to add a book to our bedtime collection, we are usually quick to jump at the chance. So when FlyBy Promotions offered up a chance to review <a href="http://www.amyparkerbooks.com/home.html" target="_blank">Amy Parker's</a> "Night Night Farm" - I quickly volunteered.<br />
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We were already familiar with Amy Parker because we own her book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thank-You-God-Daddy-Parker/dp/1400317088" target="_blank">"Thank You, God, For Daddy"</a> which is a super adorable tribute to a child's dad. It's one of my favorite books to read with our kiddos (because, well, they have an awesome dad). As such I had a feeling I wouldn't be disappointed with "Night Night Farm"; I was right.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is my favorite picture. <br />I can't get enough of this baby horse!</i></td></tr>
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The book is a wonderful way to help your child wind down and get ready to go to sleep for the night. Parker takes her reader through a farm and says good night to all the animals before ultimately saying good night to God. The book is written in such a way that it makes it easy to involve your children in the story; as you meet each animal to say good night, page ends with the sound of the animal ("Oink Oink, piggies! "Moo Moo Cows!" etc.). I don't know about you, but my kids love to make animal sounds and they love to get involved with the stories that we read. The language is beautifully simple and it is written in a classic rhythm that makes it easy to read and keep your tired little ones focused.<br />
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From an artistic standpoint, the illustrations done by Virginia Allyn are wonderful. The colors are bright, the expressions on the animals are adorable, and the details are incredible. You can follow a pair of mice on each set of pages as they make sure all the other animals are in bed before they come out to play while everyone's asleep - and the things they are doing on each page are just cute fun and another way to get your kids involved in the story. You can have them look for the mice and tell you what they're doing as you read the book together. While Parker's writing is certainly wonderful, engaging, simple, and perfect for small kiddos - it's the illustrations that are a real winner for me. There's always something new to find or look at every time I open the book.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sheep counting sheep!</i></td></tr>
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My favorite part of this book, though, is how easily you can make it a part of the nightly routine. If your routine, like ours, includes praying with your children - this is the perfect book to read right before you pray. In the final pages of the book, Parker talks about how God has made all the animals - and us - and say "night night" to Him. I have found that this provides a great segue into our family bedtime prayers - "A great way that we can say good night to God is to pray". Because I have found that anything that aids in making the bedtime routine smoother seems to get my kids to settle down and go to sleep easier - this is a huge win for me with this book.<br />
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If you are interested in getting a copy of this book, it is available on Amazon for - get this - ONLY $6.01 (at the time of this post). To get your own copy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/071808831X/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=hcads-20" target="_blank">you can click here</a> OR... OR...<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Yep, I'm giving one away. </span></i></b></div>
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Thanks to the fine folks at FlyBy Promotions, one lucky winner can get a copy of "Night Night Farm" delivered right to their door FREE of charge. To enter, you can do one or all of the following:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #134f5c;">1. Comment below with your favorite story to read with your kiddo(s).<br />2. Comment below in a separate comment below with your favorite story that you read as a kid.<br />3. Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest and comment in a separate comment below that you did. </span></b><br />
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The giveaway will end Wednesday, September 7 2016 at noon and the winner will be announced on Thursday September 8 2016.<br /><br />You will not be sorry if you either purchase or win this book - it's well written, it's engaging to kids, the illustrations are wonderful, and it's a great addition to your bedtime routine. I definitely recommend this book to you if you have kids and are looking for an easy way to incorporate relating to and learning about God into your day-to-day routines.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;">"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant <wbr></wbr>per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”</span></b></i>Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-6912064507701795062016-08-29T16:43:00.000-04:002016-08-29T16:43:43.186-04:00"There is No Life I Know..." Slugworth.<br />
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When I was 7 or 8 years old, hearing that name and seeing the face of Slugworth would send chills up my spine. Slugworth was the Severus Snape of my generation; the man in the glasses who got in the face of children and attempted to bribe them in order to get them to turn over the secrets to the wonders of the Everlasting Gobstopper. I felt like he was pressuring me when I watched "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"; I could have been in the shoes of Charlie Bucket in that alleyway, having those beady eyes, that sharp voice, and that pointy chin getting in my face attempting to bribe me to turn over one of the candy industry's most mysterious secrets.<br />
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And much as you struggle internally that ultimately Snape is good, so it was with me for Slugworth when you discover that the eccentric Willy Wonka has actually hired this man to discover which of the children was the most pure, the most able to take over the world of whimsy and deliciousness when he passes on. The point of the Golden Ticket contest was a hope for Mr. Wonka, a hope that he could find the RIGHT person to take over for him when the time came for the maker to meet his Maker.<br />
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Because you see, being "The Candy Man" wasn't about making money to Willy Wonka.<br />
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Being "The Candy Man" was about bringing joy, about bringing warm feelings, about allowing your imagination to run free. The keys to the kingdom could not be just handed to anyone who wanted to make money, to someone who was good with business, or to someone who thought they knew what was best for a company. It had to be given to someone who saw the good, someone who wanted to bring light to the world, someone who knew the value of joy.<br />
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This afternoon I opened up Twitter and the tweet fourth from the top read "Gene Wilder, Star of 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', dies at 83".<br />
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Suddenly, in that moment, I was sitting on the floor of the living room staring wide eyed at the television as Gene Wilder sang to me about a world of Pure Imagination.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #134f5c;">"There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination..."</span></i></b><br />
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My sister Dawn especially loved Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when she was a kid. She never tired of the movie, and as she grew older she held on to oft referenced quote:<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"><i><b>"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams..."</b></i></span><br />
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Those who have known Dawn a long time know that she has strived to overcome anxiety and is now - in my proud, big sister opinion - a rock star. She is an artist, she is a writer and a published author, she is a production coordinator and helps other artists display their work proudly. It has taken her a long time to get to where she is and she works hard to keep going and trying to continue to better herself, gain confidence, and above all else - never stop dreaming.<br />
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When she was in her late teens she had an opportunity to meet Gene Wilder. I remember her excitement leading up to the event - it was infectious. You couldn't help but be excited for her as the days ticked down to the day that she would meet the man who played a whimsical character on a screen and present his book for his signature. She wanted to thank him for playing the role of Willy Wonka, for the way he looked into the eyes of Veruca Salt and seriously told her that WE are the music makers and WE are the dreamers of dreams.<br />
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For much as Slugworth could have been talking to me in those moments - Willy Wonka might as well have been talking to Dawn.<br />
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Just this past Saturday, Dawn was going through some old things and came across that old copy of Mr. Wilder's book. She posted it on her personal Facebook page (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/dawnmerrowartist/?fref=ts" target="_blank">this is her art page</a>) and said <i>"Oh, Mr. Wilder, you will always be the most beautiful sparkling soul with whom I've held hands. Perhaps the most surreally moment of my life. Will never forget what you said to me while I teared up trying to speak."</i><br />
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When I asked what it was that he said (because it was not my life-altering moment to cherish), Dawn replied: <i>"It was about the 'dreamer of dreams' quote. I was trying to say how much it meant to me. But I was really anxious back then & couldn't quite talk over my shaky tears. He held my hands in his hands and told me I was the dreamer, he could see my dreams, and that I shouldn't be scared anymore."</i><br />
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<b>Two days later, Mr. Wilder passed away.</b><br />
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At the end of the movie as Charlie Bucket gently places his Everlasting Gobstopper on Mr. Wonka's desk. Quietly, and almost imperceptibly, Willy Wonka says as he placed his hand over the Gobstopper, he says <b><i><span style="color: #134f5c;">"So shines a good deed in a weary world."</span></i></b><br />
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Without a simple sentence - a good deed - my sister Dawn might not be who she is today.<br />
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It is rare, so rare, that the simple kindness of a celebrity can make a difference. What Mr. Wilder did for my sister that day, with that one simple act of patience and kindness, made an incredible impact on her life. When Robin Williams died, I was shaken because his movies and his characters were so a part of childhood. It was a strange feeling to me to feel that way when he died.<br />
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Today I shed tears at the passing of Gene Wilder, a man whose good deed indeed shone in the weary world of someone who I love and care for, a world that is shining today because of a candle he lit so many years ago. Scripture tells us in <a href="http://biblehub.com/matthew/5-15.htm" target="_blank">Matthew 5:15 </a>that people, when they light a lamp, put it where it can light up the whole house and do not hide it under a basket. I do not know how Gene Wilder was in his day-to-day life, I do not know his faith, and I did not research him for the purposes of this post. What I know is that in a moment where he could have passed over my sister as a star-struck fan, he saw her nervousness and chose kindness, patience, and forever made a difference in her world.<br /><br />That is truly the light we need to be to others.<br />
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Thank you for caring for my kid sister, Mr. Wilder, if even for just a moment. May your elevator ride to heaven be as beautiful as you ever imagined.<br />
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<br />Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-71689252951164891292016-08-18T15:35:00.002-04:002016-08-18T15:35:52.145-04:00Website Review & Give Away: FamilyChristian.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently was given the opportunity to do a bit of shopping at <a href="http://www.familychristian.com/" target="_blank">FamilyChristian.com </a>and share my experience with you all as well as share some information about the products that they offer and some deals they have going on right now. I was looking for a gift for a friend anyways, so I decided that it was meant to be and took FlyBy Promotions up on their offer to do so.<br />
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Let's start with the "negative" parts of my shopping experience (because let's be honest - whenever people read reviews they really want to know the good AND the bad). The first thing that shouldn't be a surprise to much of anyone is that in some cases, their prices don't even come close to meeting Amazon. For example, the book that I purchased for a gift ("My Great Big Veggie Storybook") retails for $14.99 at Family Christian whereas on Amazon it runs for just over $10 and on <a href="http://christianbook.com/">ChristianBook.com</a> it runs for $10.99. And yes - I did price-compare even though I had a coupon in my hand to shop on someone else's dime and not my own. This is important to know for future purchases; however - and I'll get to why in a moment - depending on your situation and your personal views when it comes tho shopping, it may still be beneficial for you to shop at FamilyChristian.com over another retailer. <br />
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The second "negative" thing (and this will be good for you to know in the event that you win the giveaway that I shall detail out below) is that the voucher that I received did not spell out certain exemptions that it could not be used for. As such I ran into a bit of an issue at checkout and had to call into their customer service line to order my items (I also chose an additional item that I'm going to preview, pray over it, and give away to a person in the near future). Additionally, the coupon did not indicate that it would not cover the shipping charges and so even though the total - including shipping - did not meet the total value of the coupon, I still paid $4.47 out of pocket. Because the intent of the purchase was for gifts, however, I did not have any issue with that.<br />
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That was all the negative, however, and now I shall share with you the positive parts of my experience.<br />
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Having never heard of FamilyChristian.com before - or their retail stores - I was skeptical of the quality of their website and selection. When my husband and I used to lead the youth ministry at our church, we would frequently purchase from Christianbook.com and so I was familiar with that; I expected far less when I entered in the address for FamilyChristian. What I found, however, is that FamilyChristian.com seems to be competing directly with Christianbook.com (I could be wrong, it just seems that way). In reality they had a wonderful selection and I had many items to choose from while looking for my gifts. Their website was incredibly easy to navigate and I had no problems getting around and finding items. Additionally - they are having a <a href="http://www.familychristian.com/summeronthego" target="_blank">site-wide Buy-One-Get-One-50%-Off sale on many of their media items</a> which meant that my preview-and-give-away purchase was half-off as well. Bonus! <br />
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Customer service: When I called about the issues I was experiencing at checkout, there was minimal wait time on the line and the customer service rep that I spoke with was very helpful and kept me on the phone until the issues were resolved and my order was placed. At checkout, I chose "economy" shipping which was standard USPS Media Mail and took about a week to arrive. The packaging was protective (sturdy box and packing tissues for the remaining space in the box) and the items I received were not damaged at all. Friendly, helpful people, receiving product in a reasonable amount of time, and packaging that doesn't risk the integrity of the product - all three of these are big customer service wins in my opinion.<br />
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What I especially appreciated about FamilyChristian.com is that they are a non-profit venture. According to their website, their mission is to help orphans and widows in need (James 1:27) and if you <a href="http://www.familychristian.com/about/" target="_blank">read through their "about" page </a>- they have given to several organizations around the world in an effort to do just that. While their prices are closer to full list/suggested retail price, I am more comfortable paying that price when their profits are not going directly to their pockets - but rather to help others. For some people knowing that their dollars are not just going to the pockets of a corporate executive makes a difference in where they spend their money - so I wanted to make sure that I highlighted that here.<br />
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If you are a part of a church, bible study, or ministry who tends to buy books in bulk (or just someone who really REALLY likes to buy things and spend lots of money on books and such), FamilyChristian.com offers a frequent buyer program called 1:27 Rewards. As you make your purchases through their website, your dollars accrue and for everyone $100 you spend you earn $5 towards a future purchase. By joining you also receive an email letting you know about deals, get additional coupons, etc. If you are one to tend to buy in bulk, this is an advantage that FamilyChristian.com has over other websites.<br />
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So - bottom line: Would I shop here again? Because I so infrequently shop for books, bibles, etc. these days and considering that though they have higher prices their profits are going to a good cause - yes, absolutely I would. In fact, I have a birthday coming and if I get any birthday money, I've got my eye on this <a href="http://www.familychristian.com/niv-compact-bible-flora-and-fauna-collection-tangerine-magenta-leathersoft-tangerine-magenta-leathersoft-w-flowers.html" target="_blank">gorgeous NIV Compact Bible</a> that would be MUCH easier to bring to my small group or my mom's group than my big, at-home NLT Study Bible.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-large;"><b>And now it's time for a GIVEAWAY!!!</b></span></div>
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Do you want to check out FamilyChristian.com for yourself? Want $25 to put towards a new bible, some gifts, or books for your kids' library? Great! I've been given the power to give away a $25 voucher to FamilyChristian.com to one super-lucky winner! Here's how you can enter this giveaway:<br />
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<li><b><span style="color: #45818e;">Share the link and leave a comment below.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_387275393"></span>"Like" my blog page on Facebook<span id="goog_387275394"></span></a> and leave a comment below indicating you've done so (if you already "like" my page, just comment on that below).</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #45818e;">Comment with one item from FamilyChristian.com that you'd buy with your $25 gift card.</span></b></li>
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Up to 3 entries per person (see guidelines in the disclosure below for who is qualified to win) and I'll close the entries on Tuesday, August 23 at 12:00 PM EST with the winner announced no later than Thursday, August 25 at 3:00 PM EST. <b><u><span style="color: #45818e;">NOTE: You MUST comment on the BLOG POST and not on the Facebook Page or Post in order for your entries to count!</span></u></b><br />
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Good luck (and happy shopping!)<br />
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<b>Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): </b>Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-51742924925797853712016-08-17T15:18:00.001-04:002016-08-17T15:18:15.753-04:00Back-to-School Time: Thoughts from an Allergy MomBack in May I talked about how<a href="http://daniellesbrainbits.blogspot.com/2016/05/food-allergies-our-village-and-why-its.html" target="_blank"> I had attended the Food Allergy Resource & Education Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida</a>. I talked about how excited I was about all the knowledge I had gathered and how excited I was to share all of that with all of you and help to spread what I had learned to the masses.<br />
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I did. I talked about those things. I even wrote <a href="http://daniellesbrainbits.blogspot.com/2016/05/food-allergies-basics.html" target="_blank">one post explaining food allergy basics</a> and talked about how excited I was to write about more things... and I was super, duper excited.<br />
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Then I didn't write about the things that I learned at the conference. There were two reasons for this: <br />
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<li>I took a step back from the excitement and realized that this blog has never been about dry lists of facts and numbers. This blog has always been about bits of me - faith topics, recipes, my life as a mom, and yes even bits of our journey as a family working through food allergies. As such, I took a step back and started to re-evaluate the information I wanted to present here. The result of this train of thought is what you'll see in posts like this one and the post I wrote about <a href="http://daniellesbrainbits.blogspot.com/2016/06/ricky-gervais-bullying-and-why-it.html" target="_blank">Ricky Gervais and Bullying </a>a few weeks ago.</li>
<li>So what the heck has taken so long to come to this conclusion and frankly - write much of anything at all? Well... it's been a beautiful, sunny, rain-light summer here in New England and we've been exploring the seacoast, local museums, parks, free concerts, and all sorts of other wonderful kid-friendly activities. My kiddos are 4 and 2, the older child heads off to 3-day-a-week preschool in the fall, and quite frankly - living in New England I am stuck inside due to bitter cold for way too many months of the year. As such - I took advantage. And it's been glorious.</li>
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But now here it is, mid-August and back-to-school time is upon us. I have come to think of these things again because I am about to send my son off to a "real" school for the first time without my watchful eye making sure his hands are wiped, his surface is wiped, and the ingredients of the foods of the 3 people closest to him are checked. I have been in touch with the school nurse and it's incredibly likely that his classroom will be peanut/treenut free. This is certainly a reassurance, but it's not what's consumed IN the classroom that scares me - it's what's consumed before kids get there that does.<br />
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I'm more nervous about kids eating peanut butter on their toast or bagel BEFORE they get to school than I am about a package of Austin peanut butter crackers entering the classroom for snacktime.<br />
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So what series of events transpired that led me to come back to this topic? Two things:<br />
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<li>I have a number of friends who keep sunbutter on-hand so that if they are coming out with us for a picnic lunch, they can give their kids sunbutter & jelly sandwiches and keep my little guy safe. This is awesome and I am more than a little appreciative that they do this. However, it occurred to me the other day while I was making sandwiches for an excursion with the kiddos - if Will is ever eating at their house and I don't have a lunch for him, he likely can never eat a sunbutter and jelly sandwich at their house. How many of us while making a nutbutter & jelly sandwich have used the same knife for both jars? I know I have (much to the chagrin of my husband, who hates seeing nutbutter streaks in his jelly jars) - and what sparked this train of thought while I was making sandwiches was that I had just talked to a mom whose daughter has an allergy to sunflower seeds. We use sunbutter. If her daughter is ever at my house, I can't offer her a plain jelly sandwich as a substitute.<br /></li>
<li>Thinking ahead to when he gets to the age of dating as was sparked by an article I was reading in Allergic Living magazine. In addition to discussing "the birds and the bees" with Will, we also have to make sure he understands that for him - kissing can trigger a reaction if he's not careful. Protein from allergens can linger in a person for hours - not even tooth-brushing can get rid of it - if a significant other doesn't avoid the protein all together while dating Will, they'd have to avoid smooching for several hours, brush their teeth, AND consume an allergen-free meal before locking lips. Talk about conversations you're not normally thinking about when you have a 4-year-old... but how old are kids before they start kissing each other? I think I was 6 or 7 when a little boy wanted to kiss me on the playground - clearly nothing crazy, just a peck... but for Will a peck from a little girl who had a peanut butter smear on her bagel that morning could cause him to break out in hives. It's incredibly rare - but it's still possible.</li>
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Thankfully, we do have an allergy plan in place and will be working with the school nurses. We've been assured that the staff are all EpiPen trained and are educated in the signs of anaphylaxis. We're (slowly and as he's ready) handing ownership of Will's allergy over to him - he's starting to speak up for himself in restaurants and letting the waitstaff know that he's allergic to peanuts & treenuts. When they pretend to go places, he always asks his sister "Do you have my epipen?" and they "pack" their "shot" from their doctor's kit before they go to the "grocery store" to buy "peanut free and almond-safe" (he's not allergic to almonds) snacks. He has started asking me to make sure that things he's eating at the store on sample are safe and I make sure that he watches me read labels. We've been stressing with him everywhere we go that he should only eat food that Mommy and Daddy give him and never, ever share food with someone else.<br />
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What's my point here? Well I have two points (and apparently thinking in "twos" for this post).<br />
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The first point that I'm driving at is that if you're not an allergy parent but you are a parent - please take a few seconds and educate yourself (if you don't already know) about cross-contact. Because we are all part of each other's villages and should look out for each other, it's important that we teach our kids how to keep each other safe as part of a community. Kids that have peanut butter for breakfast should thoroughly wash their hands, make sure none of their breakfast gets on the clothes they're wearing that day, and brush their teeth thoroughly after eating. When you're having "the talk" with your kids, make sure that they understand that at some point they could date someone with a food allergy - and discuss how they can keep that person safe (and that causing anaphylaxis is not a preferred means to get back at someone who breaks up with them). A couple of short reads that you may find helpful are:<br />
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<a href="https://blog.foodallergy.org/2014/09/29/avoid-spreading-allergens-with-cross-contact-prevention/" target="_blank">Avoid Spreading Allergens with Cross-Contact Prevention</a></div>
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<a href="https://blog.foodallergy.org/2016/07/06/kissing-can-cause-allergic-reactions/" target="_blank">Kissing Can Cause Allergic Reactions</a></div>
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And if you've got a kiddo that you want to help educate on food allergies so that they can be a support for their friends, Disney & Mylan have partnered together to write this adorable little book called "Show & Tell Scout" that is wonderful for explaining to kids all about food allergies, why other kids can't share or trade food, and how to work together to protect each other and still all have fun. You can read the e-book for free by <a href="https://www.disneystorycentral.com/reader/reader.html?path=https://private-static.disneystorycentral.com/books/170efdb1-d98e-11e5-bfb9-06704c8966cf/html/&signKey=%3FPolicy%3DeyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOiBbeyJSZXNvdXJjZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vcHJpdmF0ZS1zdGF0aWMuZGlzbmV5c3RvcnljZW50cmFsLmNvbS9ib29rcy8xNzBlZmRiMS1kOThlLTExZTUtYmZiOS0wNjcwNGM4OTY2Y2YvaHRtbC8qIiwiQ29uZGl0aW9uIjp7IkRhdGVMZXNzVGhhbiI6eyJBV1M6RXBvY2hUaW1lIjoxNDcxNDYwNTg4fSwiSXBBZGRyZXNzIjp7IkFXUzpTb3VyY2VJcCI6IjAuMC4wLjAvMCJ9fX1dfQ__%26Signature%3DJGsTITU3Uel5Id2VINKkt190Chv2ylWNRdS~7e~aZq59OFVOb-QCZxq75JgktZOeuhbMXiICWv~QAPBycITgDFhZzaFiZy~xP2LuA5hBt0Z0ol32yTwZ3VPj63S2X72hDd1~3rqdbj96w764Z9Vmb7~6kmtapbpamU0OXrB2cyV7sNckEINdNkDu0sgktOxAn-Qmja3Jxo6s5DpXlhqHA8CjRgV2g32znNiDgDjC0xvoM3Vxx3cjgFiAHF7xGltijoLsmsCl3uy19dsFfzw-zrhcXUqliiVEaNZEEuU77pTus4lvF9GmiowQfkalxWhOTNSVSQVw2hiNsYSAjDchkg__%26Key-Pair-Id%3DAPKAJWFQSX7BQKAA3AHQ&homeUrl=https://disneystorycentral.com&channelId=7ad93310-d4fc-11e5-9964-06704c8966cf&promotionId=7ad95a20-d4fc-11e5-9964-06704c8966cf&isbn13=9781484746653#/page/1" target="_blank">clicking here. </a> I got a printed copy at the FARE Conference and my kids love it.<br />
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We're all a part of the same village and we should be working to protect each other. I don't write anything here in this post that I don't do myself out in the world. In fact, last week I had packed almond butter and jelly sandwiches to take the a park for a picnic. For a while we were the only ones there, but as my kids were going in between sandwich and splash-pad frolicking - another family arrived. I looked at the smearing of sandwich goo all over my kids' faces and immediately went over to the other mom. "Excuse me," I asked, "Is your daughter allergic to almonds? My kids have almond butter and my son has food allergies, so if she is I get it and I'll keep my kids contained and thoroughly wash them up before I let them loose again."<br />
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Not only was she appreciative that I asked (even though her daughter wasn't), she also immediately closed the container of nuts she herself was snacking on (that I hadn't even seen, it was behind her) and put them away until we left.<br />
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At the end of the day - I've learned - no one wants to see a child get hurt. And if you're not insane, demanding, or rude about it, everyone wants to protect each other's children.<br />
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My second point is one that I think may ring a bit truer to all of us, and that's the bizarreness that is releasing your kids into more and more levels of independence. For us it's food allergies, but for you and your family it may be something else. Maybe your child is on the autism spectrum, or has a learning disability, or some sort of physical limitation, or is overly bold and risk-taking, or whatever thing YOUR kid has that's a part of who they are - we all as parents have that "thing" that makes us nervous to let our kids just... go. Be themselves. Experience the world and learn and make mistakes and figure things out for themselves. To take the risks they need to take to learn and accomplish great things and impact the lives of others (hopefully in positive ways). They cannot do that if we keep them under our protectful wings forever, and the LAST thing I want to do is to keep my kids forever underwing. They don't want that, and I want them to be successful enough people to get out of my house and be their own people. Maybe come back home for dinner on Sunday if they live within a reasonable drive.<br />
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So while I sit here nervous about the dangers that Will might encounter in the real world - much as every other parent is, just my nervousness is slightly different than some others - I think about the importance of him needing to do it himself. I recognize that I can talk to other parents, educate them and the community, and work to do what I can to make the world a little bit better, safer, and easier for him. It's why I write about food allergies here on this blog; I want to raise awareness at the level that I can, so that it can then trickle down to kids and neighbors and communities. <br />
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But at the end of the day, going to school and getting out in the world is going to be what makes him figure out how to do it for himself. The world is a big, crazy place and it's hard to be an adult. Being a kid, though... being a kid and yearning for that independence, striving for it while knowing that you still have the safety net of your core family at home...<br />
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...that's what makes people grow into some of the best adults.<br />
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Enjoy the big, crazy world. William Silly-um.<br />
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Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948821458162267396.post-6392772449368109162016-07-28T16:34:00.000-04:002016-07-28T16:34:21.406-04:00When I Look Back, I Feel...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with me.<br />
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I read these blog posts of parents of kids who hit preschool age and find their independence and they have these moments of wistfulness remembering sweet baby sweat smells and how small their babies were and how fast that time seemed to have gone by. Oh those wonderful days of nursing and snuggling and knowing that you were your baby's whole world, and now they're growing and when oh when did that happen... and I feel...<br />
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...nothing.<br />
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I remember my first year as a parent. I was depressed and didn't know it for 10 months. I was constantly worried about my son's size and not knowing what to do about that croupy cough he got at 9 months old. I overstressed about what food I fed my son and why wasn't I keeping the house clean and how do I get the social contact I just lost by coming home to look at a baby. A baby who, while incredibly cute and snuggly, doesn't speak English and communicates by blinking and pointing. A baby who wouldn't sleep unless I sang him "Boston", "Piano Man" and "Knee Deep" on rotation (no other songs worked... seriously).<br />
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All I wanted was to make it to toddlerhood. I even told God I was OK with only having one baby. One was enough.<br />
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Then... just as toddlerhood started to come into focus and I thought relief might be on the way... I got pregnant again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Almost 2 years and 1 week old</i></td></tr>
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My daughter was born a month before my son turned 2. She came into the world screaming, she made sure her presence was known. She had to sleep strapped into a baby seat for the first six months of her life so that she would actually sleep instead of gagging on reflux... which of course made me not sleep because I knew babies "aren't supposed" to sleep in anything other than on their backs flat in a sleep sack or swaddle. My son, my husband, and then my new baby all got colds. During the 2nd month of my daughter's life, we housed 2 teenagers and totalled a car. I got an 8-week ear infection. The last thing my new baby wanted to do during any of this time was snuggle or slow down - she wanted to move, so by the time I could come up to breathe I was contending with a 4-month-old who wanted to do nothing more than crawl. By the time she was 6-months, I was trying to make sure I didn't trip over a baby who would surprise me crawling underfoot while I was cooking dinner. She was climbing and giving me heart attacks at 8-months, and was using short sentences by a year.<br />
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If my daughter was ever one of these sweet babies you read about in blogs and books... she hid it well.<br />
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As my children hit their various milestones and as I look through old pictures and think back on the tiny people they were, I don't get wistful. I don't become bittersweet at how fast the last 4.25 years have gone by or regret not stopping and playing more cars or reading more stories instead of washing dishes. I would be lying if I said I wished I built more blanket forts or rocked my babies just a little bit longer or that I cherished that last nursing session with both of my kids. I longed for the days when an outing to a park or a museum didn't require a stroller and working around nap schedules or making sure I could breastfeed someone comfortably.<br />
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When I was pregnant with my daughter, there were several times that we thought we were going to lose her. I had a hematoma, I had cervical bleeding, I slid down the stairs on my behind leading me to modified bed rest for 2 weeks (which is exactly what the stay-at-home mom of a toddler wants to be doing). During one particular moment of panic, I remember looking at my husband and saying "I know I keep panicking and crying, but I just can't get rid of the feeling that we're not going to be able to keep her."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>2.5 years and 8 months old</i></td></tr>
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Sometime during the 6th month of my daughter's life as she crawled around my kitchen on her belly... it hit me - I'm not going to be able to keep my kids. God has given them to me for but a short period of their lives... then I need to let them go. Part of parenting, I've realized through prayer and consideration, is doing that slowly and starting at a young age. So when, at 8 months, my daughter decided to start climbing up the stairs - I didn't stop her. I let her go. When my son decided on a walk at 3 years old he didn't want to hold my hand and instead wanted to run up ahead and pick up sticks and pretend to be a pirate - I didn't stop him. I let him go. I let them run and do things for themselves while keeping a safe distance, watching and making sure they are safe.<br />
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God has gifted us with free will... He does the same for us. We run free while He keeps us at a far enough length to allow us independence, but is there for us when we fall. He suggests boundaries, He lets us grow, He lets us make mistakes and feel hurts so that we grow.<br />
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They are not mine to keep. They are growing. They want to do for themselves. They are their own people - they've shown me that since the day that they were born. And since that day I have prayed - "God, let me take these personalities that You have gifted them with and use me and use their Daddy to grow them into whatever person You want and have designed them to be. Let us be Your hands and feet in their lives and help them to discover Your plan for them."<br />
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And so as they grow and they discover themselves and they do for themselves and they reach out to help each other and others and figure out how to navigate the world... not once have I felt wistful at what has been. I felt a brief guilt over needing a c-section with my son and I felt a brief guilt over not being able to have one-on-one time with my daughter in her early days... but those feelings of guilt have passed and have been replaced with one overwhelming emotion.<br />
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Pride.<br />
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My kids are only 4 and 2 and they are far from perfect. They are human, and they are kids. They don't always listen, they act out, they are fresh, they don't always eat the dinner I put in front of them.<br />
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But my daughter at only 2 years old asks to help wipe down tables and asks how she can help you and my son since he was only 1.5 years old will be the first one at your side if you are sad or upset (even if the reason is that you're another kid in trouble and in time-out, he's concerned). I marvel at the hearts that they are growing to love others, I am amazed at the love they have for each other and the bond they are growing together. I beam with pride when they insist on doing something themselves and then perfect it.<br />
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My kids at 4 and 2 dress themselves, put on their own shoes (usually on the right feet), and generally obey safety rules. Strollers are no longer a requirement for most outings (we will be renting one at Disney primarily for storage and napping) and sometimes they can even help carry things.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>3.5 and 1.5 years old</i></td></tr>
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I was looking through old pictures last night, organizing on our server the hundreds of pictures we've taken over their daily lives. I came across a video of my daughter at about 14 months, toddling around the driveway while her brother looked on, digging away in the garden. "Evie," I heard my husband's voice say, "don't climb up the stairs." The video moved away from the moving toddler as he redirected her several times before she finally just gave up and walked away, but not before casting a defiant look that said "Fine... but those stairs are mine later."<br />
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This is when I had the thought... is there something wrong with me? Am I broken because I am not feeling any of the wistful feelings or bittersweet thoughts that I read about in blogs? Why don't I feel any of those "Wow... time sure does fly..." feelings that I keep hearing about?<br />
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Instead I felt wonder, amazement, and pride at how much my daughter has grown in the last year. My heart grew three sizes as I watched my son's face in the video and thought about how much he loves his little sister and watches out for her.<br />
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Last night as I sat and mulled over these things I realized... there isn't anything wrong with me.<br />
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Every child is different. Every parent is different. Every person is different. </div>
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Maybe I am too close to the baby stage to "miss" it and in several years I'll see this differently. Maybe I won't. Somehow, I just don't know that I'm wired to look back and long for the days of babyhood. I'm incredibly excited to see my kids grow into their own people and see what God has designed them to be. When I see old pictures and videos, I am amazed at how far they've come and find it hard to believe they were ever so little... because now, they're just NOT.<br />
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And that's OK.<br />
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It's OK that I don't long for (or don't think I'll long for) those days of babyhood and it's OK that you do. It's OK that I am not that worried about holding on a little longer and it's OK that you are. It's OK that I want to make sure the dishes get done and it's OK that you're leaving them there.<br />
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It's OK.<br />
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This morning my 4-year-old son threw on some slip-on shoes and walked out to the end of the driveway to pick-up the newspaper, a job that he asked if he could do. No, Mom, don't come with me - I can do it myself.<br />
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If they paid children to say those words - "I can do it myself" - few would pay for college.<br />
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I watched from a safe distance as he went to the end of the driveway (they threw the paper about 5 feet in from the "end"), turned around, and came back.<br />
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My heart swelled with pride as I watched my little boy's face reflect a confidence boost because I trusted him and gave him room to do something himself.<br />
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I'll keep on praying that they will open their heart to God's plan for their lives. I'll continue to keep my distance away and my arms outstretched. I'll continue to watch in wonder as they grow and become their own person. I'll wait for them to need me and I'll try to be patient as they pull back and come back in their own times.<br />
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And I won't wonder if there's something wrong with me anymore.<br />
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I'm doing OK.<br />
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And so are you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3mKjFWjiUrX7riaSFqQXgnV6Ox9-katog0YSg31_fnMMekQ4CkLGYhKyngOkVmo4m4ahVbmVAwa-XY5RMiz2MS1YAUyxSH8wdxEJm9JjsK8zRTg7Obd-ql2YwVhMWvjcrRwMlQsaFl4/s1600/13680914_10210428787539979_7843510782458128489_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3mKjFWjiUrX7riaSFqQXgnV6Ox9-katog0YSg31_fnMMekQ4CkLGYhKyngOkVmo4m4ahVbmVAwa-XY5RMiz2MS1YAUyxSH8wdxEJm9JjsK8zRTg7Obd-ql2YwVhMWvjcrRwMlQsaFl4/s400/13680914_10210428787539979_7843510782458128489_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>4 years and 2 years (and a couple of months) old</i></td></tr>
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Danielle Athanashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368619697468015361noreply@blogger.com0