Giving Thanks

When I was six years old I had a very rude awakening. I'd sat down at the Thanksgiving table wearing the Pilgram outfit I'd so maticulously made in school. My aunt immediately gave me an education about the pilgrams and their role in the genocide of Native Americans, our ancestors. Heavy. The tears commenced and although I was forced to face the harsh reality of the origins of Thanksgiving, it was a lesson that I never forgot. Thanksgiving in my family is all about spending time with family and giving thanks for all of the blessings we have. This year I am going to my best friend's new home to enjoy food and spend some quality together.

I also keep in mind those that are facing challenges and in the midst of trails

still give thanks. Last week I had the opportunity to volunteer and learn more

about The Ronald McDonald House Charities.

From November 10-20th McDonald's all over the country held the Give A Hand fundraiser and asked each visitor if they'd like to contribute one dollar to RMHC.

I actually worked the drive thru window and asked for donations!

After our gig at Mickey D's we all visited the newest Atlanta Ronald McDonald

House which provides temporary housing and support services to families of critically ill and injured children being treated at Children's Healthcare of

Atlanta. The RMH Charities also provides grants to children's non-profits and supports education by giving scholarships to students entering college. I was really impressed with everything that I learned about the charity and the support it receives from the community.

All of the dinners at RMH are donated and although some families require

special meals, this is truly a blessing for the families that are able to enjoy

them.There are Ronald McDonald House's all across the country and they are

always in need of donations of household items, coffee, tea, frozen

dinners, and cleaning supplies. There are also volunteer opportunities. I

think this is a wonderful charity and having met a few of the families,

it is clear that RMH truly makes a difference in their lives.

This Thanksgiving I encourage you to give thanks for your blessings and also think about how you can help those that are in need this season.

A Great Giveaway

This giveaway is so good I really don't want to share. But, I will. My friend Mannequin is giving away a Wii Fit Plus and Jullian Michaels new game Fitness Ultimatum 2010. And although I am truly an EA SPORTS Active convert, I wouldn't mind having the Wii Fit Plus for some variety. They say variety is the spice of life right? So what are you waiting for? Head on over to Fractured Toy to enter!

Television for A Busy Mom

I am on the road quite often. And if I am not on the road I am doing things around the house that keep me from watching television shows when they are on. It is pretty rare for me to actually watch my favorite shows when they actually air. I try to rely on my dvr but I frequently forget to program it and am left missing out in my show.

That is until I was introduced to Fancast.com. With fancast I am able to watch my favorite shows on my schedule conveniently on my laptop or desktop computer. I simply search for my show and it pops up easily. I enjoy having videos in all one place, in the past when I've wanted to catch up with my favorites online I've had to search the network website for full episodes. Fancast.com is a one-stop shop. I've watched my favorite show Glee, caught up on episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice and watched my Sci-Fi favorite Warehouse 13.

Now I am know that even if I forget to watch my shows, I can play catch up on my own time period. If you are anything like me and have a hectic schedule, Fancast.com might just be the place for you too!

A Shopping Spree

I am a bargain shopper, I love shopping sales, using coupons and getting as much of a discount as possible. When I was approached to shop at two of my favorite stores - Marshall's and TJ Maxx, I immediately said yes! Armed with a $25.00 giftcard for each of the stores I entered full of anticipation about the goodies I would leave with. I am a long time fan of both of these stores and I shop them for different reasons.

I knew going into Marshall's that I would head directly to the children's section. Marshall's is my go to store when looking for designer clothes for my son at discounted prices. I was not disappointed. I left with two 3 piece outfits for the fall. Both have jackets, I have a pair of jeans and courdory pants, a jersey and a vest. Each outfit was $12.99. I was only a dollar over budget and in my opinion having2 mix and match outfits for $26.00 is a bargain!

My next stop was TJ Maxx. I like to shop at TJ Maxx for clothing for myself, accessories and household goods. Since moving into my home two years ago I have really fallen short on decorating - with the exception of my son's room. So, to get the ball rolling, I decided to purchase some bath towels in the colors I am thinking of painting the master suite and bath. I purchased 3 sets of towels and washclothes for $27.00. The quality is great and I love the colors.

My entire shopping excursion only took 30 minutes. I knew exactly what I was looking for and there was enough variety and selection for me to have a great shopping experience. Now, if I had been shopping for clothes for myself I would have taken much longer to browse and try on clothes but this was an easy trip.

I love these stores and have to extend a big thank you to Victoria for giving me the opportunity to "shop to I dropped!"

Yummie Tummie

Vdog, Me and Mischelle - photo editing by Mischelle

I went to BlogHer and all I have to show is a Yummie Tummie! Sounds good, right? Yummie Tummies are shapewear and I was one of several brand ambassadors trying them out and showing them off at BlogHer. In the past I have only worn spanx for my legs and butt so I was interested in seeing how wearing tank top shapewear felt to me. I really liked the material, the top and bottom are soft and t-shirtesque, perfect for showing to the world. The middle is where the heavy duty holding comes into play. I wore two yummie tummies (one black and and white), one beneath a sweater and the other beneath a dress. They were visible and looked great but I think that I was off on my sizing a little bit. I measured but rather than a 1x next time I will get a large because as you can tell from the picture my tummy was swimming a bit in material.

Overall, I would certainly purchase a yummy tummy, they are comfortable and when my roommate Jennae saw mine she wanted one too! There are numerous styles available on the website and you can also follow on twitter to get updates on sales and discount codes.

I have to give a big thanks to Yummie Tummies and Clever Girls Collective for inviting me to be an ambassador.

Daniel X

I have spoken about my love of James Patterson in the past. I enjoy both his writing and his dedication to instilling the love of reading in young people is admirable. I was so happy to have the opportunity to read his latest book Daniel X - Watch the Skies because I had just finished reading the first book in the series "The Dangerous Days of Daniel X."

The books are about a boy, Daniel X who in actuality is both an alien and an alien fighter here on Earth. Perhaps you are not a Sci-Fi buff but I have to tell you that these books are page turners. Seriously. It took me a day to read each of these books. I could not put them down.

"Watch the Skies" is filled with action, adventure and even a love interest for Daniel. And of course he is fulfilling his obligation to rid the world of one of the deadliest aliens out there who is hatching an evil plot to take over the world. I don't want to give away too much but one of the things that really impressed me about this series is that not only can parents read it but you can share it with your child and discuss the plot and characters.

I think this series will really captivate adolescent boys and girls (and of course parents). I truly believe that James Patterson has scored a homerun with this one and I anxiously await the next book in the series. If you are fan of Sci-Fi or just a fan of engaging fiction, I say read it and share it with a young person. Read and discuss!

I was sent a copy of the Daniel X - Watch the Skies by Mom Central and given a giftcard as a thank you.

Faunasphere

I may have mentioned that I am a gamer mom. No? Well, I am. And perhaps the reason I don't mention it is because I have a slight addiction. When I find a new game I play it almost non-stop for the first week or so. There was one time back in '03 when I abandoned all work (I worked from home) to play a video game until the end. Did I mention I was at my then boyfriend's home at the time? And he would find me perched on the couch in the same space I occupied when he left for work on a daily basis. Ahem. Needless to say, when I play I have be careful. I have never again done a stint like the trouble of '03 but recently when playing Mafia Wars on Facebook I've been known to stay up until the wee hours of the morn. Anyway, when I was contacted by Big Fish about a new game for moms I was like "uh oh." I almost didn't open the email but I am a fan of Big Fish, when I was pregnant I played Virtual Villagers and had my husband hooked too. The first game I downloaded two years ago on my Mac was Azada, what can I say? I love gaming. 

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So the newest game is Faunasphere. In this virtual world you tend to a fauna and build a world. The fauna look like dogs, horses, turtles, various animals and are skilled. The trick with this game is that in order to truly be successful you have to interact with other players. I have found that the people in the community are extremely helpful and some have designated themselves as Mentors. They are clearly marked and give assistance. I am completely enamored with the game. Oh, and best of all? It is an online game so no downloads and better yet? It is FREE! That's right, a free game that builds a community. I LOVE IT!

You can be sure that I will be playing Faunasphere for a good while. I am pacing myself and having a great time. Did I mention that I just started playing last night?  It is a great game and if you enjoy community and need some time away, I say try it out!