Awesome Deals at Kroger! Plus win a $25 Gift Card!

Kroger is getting ready to have some really great deals, so I decided to pass the info along to you.  And what's better than getting something at a really good price?  Getting something free!  Would you like to win a $25 Kroger card?  Find out how at the bottom of this post. 

Here's the info I was sent from Kroger:

Get ready for the Cart Buster Savings Event exclusively at Kroger and the Kroger Co. Family of Stores. You´ll see Big Savings Storewide on some of your favorite brands! And look out for some special offers and coupons only available at the Kroger Co. Family of Stores, and only available for this event!

Beginning the week of February 26th, 2012, shop the Kroger Co. Family of Stores biggest-ever promotion and find the hottest prices around on more than 35 brands, across more than 60 categories from General Mills, P & G, Pepsi, Nestle, Kraft and Kroger Banner Brands. During the Cart Buster Savings Event, you´ll find great savings in almost every department at the Kroger Family of Stores, which includes:   Kroger, Ralph´s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillon´s, Smith´s Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets, and Scott´s Food & Pharmacy.

Check your local store to confirm the exact dates for your Cart Buster Savings Event.

Here are just a handful of the great brands participating in the event:

Cheerios

Lucky Charms

Pillsbury

Betty Crocker

Hamburger Helper

Yoplait

Progresso

Totino´s

Green Giant

Cascadian Farm Tide

Charmin

Bounty

Pampers

Pantene

Crest

Iams

Febreze

Old Spice

Bounce Pepsi

Ruffles

Quaker

Tostito´s

Rice A Roni

Tropicana

Stacy´s

Sobe

Mountain Dew

Gatorade

Looking for even more ways to save time and money? Visit CartBuster.com beginning 2/26/12 to find money-savings digital coupons, shopping lists and more. And starting 2/29/12 you can participate in the "Deal of the Day"! How does the Deal of the Day work?

•During seven days of the Cart Buster Savings Event, 2/29/12 - 3/6/12, there will be a super hot, exclusive offer good on one participating Cart Buster item. Each offer will be exclusive and available for one-day only - but the offer will be good for the duration of the entire event.


•You´ll see savings of up to and over 50% with the Deal of the Day offers - maybe even some freebies - and that´s on top of the already-low, low prices that Cart Buster has to offer!

•Look for seven days of "Deal of the Day offers" beginning 2/29/12. The Last Deal of the Day offer will be up on 3/6/12. But don´t fret - the Cart Buster event will continue even after the Deal of the Day ends. Check your local store for the exact end date for the Cart Buster Savings Event.

Check out the widget in my sidebar!!! 

Now for the $25 Kroger giveaway rules.   Please read them CAREFULLY as I don't seem to be explaining them well enough.  LOL  

Leave a comment.  Tell me what you'd buy at Kroger with the $25 gift card.  

Want more entries?  Here are five more ways you can enter, for a total of six ways to enter! :)

Take my poll in the sidebar, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST letting me know you did. (If you've already taken the poll, just let me know in a comment, and I will still count it as an additional entry.)

Follow me on facebook, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect,and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. . (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in The Crazy House. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win, or I'll have to draw another winner. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to six entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, March 4, 2012. The winner will be chosen on Monday, March 5, 2012 or sometime soon after.

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Kroger Family of Stores gift card, information, and giveaway were all provided by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills/Nestle/Proctor & Gamble/Pepsi/Kraft through MyBlogSpark.

New Review and Contest!!! Cooper and Me and the Military

I recently received the latest Cooper and Me book, Cooper and Me and the Military.  This is the third book I have read in the series.  You can read my original review of Cooper and Me here, or my review of Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure here.   

So far I have enjoyed these books, and so have my children.  They have been thrilled to read them and keep asking which one they are getting next!  I love that the books are actually written and illustrated by a child, Alexa Peters, who was only 11 years old when the first book was written in 2010.  My only concern about this book is that it is about two children whose mother and father both serve in the military.  I just found it sad that the children had to live with their grandparents while both parents were deployed.  It does allow children to see what a sacrifice must be made to keep our country safe. 

The story is all about a dog named Trooper who is friends with Cooper.  Trooper is adopted by Gracie and Joe and their parents, who are serving in the military.  According to the publisher, each Cooper and Me story teaches an important Life Lesson and features interactive materials at the back of the book to drive the message home.  Included are activities that help children name and process their own feelings about what they've read.  In this book, the children learn that their parents love them, even though they are far from home.  

You can learn more about this book and the Cooper and Me series by clicking on these links:

Website: http://www.cooperandme.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooper-and-Me-Inc/214695101924101

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cooper_and_me

Now for the contest rules!  Please read them CAREFULLY as I don't seem to be explaining them well enough.  LOL  

Leave a comment.  Tell me who you'd like to honor for serving in the military.  Want more entries?  Here are five more ways you can enter, for a total of six ways to enter! :)

Take my poll in the sidebar, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST letting me know you did. (If you've already taken the poll, just let me know in a comment, and I will still count it as an additional entry.)

Follow me on facebook, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect,and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. . (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

The rules: You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in The Crazy House. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win, or I'll have to draw another winner. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to six entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, March 4, 2012. The winner will be chosen on Monday, March 5, 2012 or sometime soon after.

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hi Tech Kids!

Psst... Please take my poll in the sidebar!  Thanks!!!  :)

The other day my youngest son, Baber, who is eight, was on the laptop when he still had school and chores to do, so I took it away from him.  The next thing I knew I found him sitting on the stairs with his portable DVD player!  I confiscated that, and told him to get going on his list.  He reluctantly gave it to me, and I took it and hid it.

I started going about my business when I saw him walking around, calculator in hand.  Really?  Is the kid that desperate to manipulate images on a screen?  So then I had to take away the calculator!  I finally realized that if I wasn't working along side him every step of the way he wasn't going to do anything he was supposed to be doing.  It was either that or hide all the digital watches!

New Review and Giveaway from MyBlogSpark: Gevalia Coffee!!!

Psst...  Please take the poll in my sidebar!  Pretty please.  :)

Gevalia Kaffe is much more than your average `cup of joe.´ It´s a Swedish-style break from the usual coffee grind. Perfected by the Swedes´ passion for quality coffee for more than 150 years, Gevalia is an exquisitely rich smooth coffee experience that is never bitter. Gevalia isn´t just coffee, it´s `Kaffe´ to savor.

As part of the MyBlogSpark blogger program, I was blessed to recieve two samples of Gevalia coffe and a nice coffee Gevalia mug!  And guess what?  You can get two samples and a mug too!  (BTW, when I say samples, these are not small bags.)  Directions for the contest appear at the bottom of this post. 

Okay, I must 'fess up, I won't actually be giving my own opinion, but a friend's.  You see, as you know, this is The Crazy House.  In The Crazy House things are broken on a regular basis.  Not long ago my youngest son, Baber, was putting the pot from my coffee maker in the kitchen and he dropped it and broke it.  Sooo....  I was unable to personally make this coffee at home.  So, I did the next best thing.  I took it to our homeschool co-op.

Well, since the coffee is made early, it was too late to make it this past week, so I couldn't taste it there, either.  So, I did the next, next best thing.  I offered up the second bag to the first person who would offer to test it out for me.  Here's where the beautiful and talented Pamela comes in.  Her dh is a coffee lover and she took it home for him to try.  Here are her exact words:

"We really enjoyed this coffee. I liked how the packaging was easy to open, something I rarely find in coffee bags. Aroma was excellent, of course, and the coffee itself tasted really good. I would definitely purchase it. The one thing I'd say is that the bag I tried was labeled "medium" roast, but it seemed much stronger than a typical medium blend to me. All in all great coffee though. I'll just use less from now on."

Wow, this girl knows what she is talking about, I didn't even know what medium roast meant!  LOL  I understand regular and decaf, and flavored and non-flavored.  I'm not exactly a barista.  But I did keep the mug.  I do like it!  :)

Now here is some info I got from MyBlogSpark to give you a little more info about the coffee.

. 

Gevalia is a luxurious departure from the everyday, an escape from the routine cup of coffee. Whether it´s a morning ritual made just for you, or the finishing touch at a dinner party, it brings the taste of Swedish-style luxury into your home.

In Sweden, where the citizens drink more coffee than almost anywhere else in the world, Gevalia is their preferred brand.

In fact, Gevalia enjoys the honor of being an official coffee of the Swedish Royal Court.

Gevalia, now available at Safeway, brings unexpected Swedish-style luxury and rich, never bitter taste to the Safeway grocery aisle.

Gevalia has been refining the art of luxurious coffee since 1853 and has a deep history of finding and blending the finest Arabica coffee beans from locations around the world.

Gevalia is expertly made with carefully selected beans, ground extra fine, to produce a rich coffee experience.

Previously available online only, Gevalia is now offering its top-ten varieties in U.S. coffee supermarket aisles nationwide in 10 varieties, including roast and ground, whole bean, flavored and decaffeinated varieties:

Now, here are the different varieties available!

Gevalia Traditional Roast (ground and whole bean):  Gevalia Traditional Roast provides a perfectly balanced taste every time. Our most beloved blend - made of choice, mountain-grown Arabica beans - this coffee has a distinctive body and flavor with a lighter intensity. (Medium Roast).

Gevalia House Blend:  A Gevalia favorite, House Blend is a robust yet never bitter coffee. This roast has a captivating aroma that is only matched by its exceptional flavor. (Medium/Dark Roast).

Gevalia House Blend Decaf :  Delivering the same rich, never bitter flavor, House Blend Decaf has the same robust taste without all the caffeine. (Medium/Dark Roast).

Gevalia French Roast (ground and whole bean):  Gevalia French Roast is a coffee of impressive richness and dimension, expertly crafted from prized Arabica beans grown in Colombia and Brazil. Hints of aromatic smoke give this dark-roasted French Roast blend an intense, yet uniquely satisfying flavor. (Dark Roast).

Gevalia Colombia:  Grown high in the Colombian Andes, these beans produce a rich, bright and well-bodied Colombian coffee. This single origin classic is world-renowned, which is why we have sourced these beans for decades. (Medium Roast).

Gevalia Espresso Roast:  Gevalia Espresso Roast is made of premium, mountain-grown Arabica beans from East Africa and Central and South America. This roast is bold and full-bodied with a hint of caramel undertones. (Dark Roast).

Gevalia Vanilla:  This rich blend with vanilla flavor notes is crafted from choice mountain-grown Arabica beans, then roasted for exceptional body and flavor. Gevalia Vanilla is a flavorful and balanced experience with a heavenly aroma.

Gevalia Chocolate Mocha:  Gevalia Chocolate Mocha allows you to indulge your passion for decadent flavor. Rich, velvety chocolate flavor is blended with mountain-grown Arabica beans for a sweetly satisfying experience.

Now for the contest!!!

Win the two bags of coffee and the mug in the picture above!  Prizes to be supplied by Kraft:


◦(1) sample of the House Blend from Gevalia Kaffe

◦(1) sample of the French Roast Blend from Gevalia Kaffe

◦A Gevalia Kaffe branded coffee mug
 
Now, here are the instructions for the contest.  Please read them CAREFULLY as I don't seem to be explaining them well enough.  LOL 
 
Leave a comment.  Which variety of this coffee sounds good to you?  Let me know in a comment ON THIS POST for one entry.  Want more entries?  Here are five more ways you can enter, for a total of six ways to enter! :)

Take my poll in the sidebar and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST letting me know you did. (If you've already taken the poll, just let me know in a comment and I will still count it as an additional entry.)

Follow me on facebook and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an addtional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter. and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an addtional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an addtional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. . (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

The rules: You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in The Crazy House. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win, or I'll have to draw another winner. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to six entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, February 26, 2012. The winner will be chosen on Monday, February 27, 2012 or sometime soon after.

Kraft Foods has provided sample product to me and is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by Ramblings from the Crazy House. 


“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

People Pleasers and Potatoes

Psst... Before you read, would you just take a second to take the poll in my sidebar?  Please?

My name is Crazy Mom and I have a confession to make.  I am a people pleaser.  Yep, that's me.   A people please, a peacemaker, a pacifist.  In other words, my goal in life is to get others to like me and to avoid conflict at all cost.  Okay, it's not my only goal, but it pretty much describes who I am.

I am not alone in my people pleasing ways.  My sisters are both people pleasers too, as is my mother.  Lord help us if we offend.  We'll be traumatized for days.  Be nice to us. 

Now, I always knew our mom was a people pleaser, but I never realized how bad it was.  You see, we were at my brother's house for Christmas, and we were all helping out in the kitchen.  My older sister was washing dishes, and my mom and I were drying.  As I wiped out a bowl I noticed some left over mashed potatoes so I cleaned them off and for whatever reason mentioned it to my mom.  She proceeded to tell me that when she was new to the family, some fifty plus years ago, she was also in the kitchen helping dry dishes when she noticed some left over food.  Suddenly she found herself in a horrible dilemma.  Does she tell?  I mean, she's a perfectionist, but dare she insult her hostess?  Oh, my, what would she do?  She kept silent, and did the best she could to eliminate the evidence.  Fifty plus years late the memory still haunts her...

Now even I got a laugh out of that.  I couldn't believe she  was so perplexed.  I told her I certainly didn't think anyone would have thought twice about it if she'd handed the dish back and let them know they'd missed something.  Ah, but that is the life of a people pleaser.  I mean, I certainly understand. 

Now I'd bought two clear glass bowls of corn to the dinner, and I went to grab them before we left, but someone had already put them in the cupboard.  The problem was, I'd forgotten exactly what they looked like.  My sister-in-law pulled a few out of the cupboard.  One I knew was mine, but I wasn't sure about the other.  I took one, looked at it, and noticed something yellow in the bottom of the bowl.  I wiped it out with my finger, and sure enough, it was butter.  I felt like Monk at a crime scene!  It was my bowl alright, I'd loaded that corn up with butter.  So maybe missing a wee bit of food could be a good thing!  I couldn't help but consider the irony of the situation.  The bowl wasn't clean, but no one had noticed.  Or maybe they did, and just didn't say anything.  I wonder if my mom dried that one.  :)

Movie Review: A Mile in His Shoes

Psst!  Would you please take the poll in my sidebar?

As part of the propeller blogger program I was sent a DVD copy of A Mile in his Shoes to review so I could share my thoughts with you.  I am also blessed to be able to give a copy away.  (Contest details follow the review.)

First let me say, I have really been enjoying the fact that there seems to be a lot more decent family films out there these days.  Finally!  For a while there it was almost impossible to find a movie that I could watch with my family without feeling I was compromising my faith.  Well, A Mile in His Shoe is yet another great movie! 

I love being able to share these great finds with you, but I have to admit, I kinda hate writing the reviews because I am the kind of person who really doesn't like to know a whole lot about a movie before I see it.  Ever see a trailer that is like a mini version of the movie?  I hate that!  LOL  So, I find it hard to write a review without giving too much away.  LOL  So, I'll just give you a little hint about what the movie is about.  :)

From the director of Angels in the Outfield, this new movie, A Mile in His Shoes stars Dean Cain and Luke Schroder (son of Ricky Schroder) and is about a semi-professional baseball coach named Arthur Murphy (Murph) who accidentally stumbles across a young man named Mickey who is a naturally gifted pitcher.  The only glitch is that Mickey has Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism) and is the son of very protective parents who are reluctant to allow Mickey to play ball.  When they finally give in, Mickey learns about a whole new world that exists outside his farm, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Yes, it's a baseball movie, but it's more of a movie about learning to love, reach out, and take chances.  It's also about forgiveness. 

I watched this film with my daughter and we both really enjoyed it.  It had a great message, but wasn't overtly preachy.  I'd like to see a lot more films like this where it portrays Christian people in a positive light, but is not targeted to a exclusively Christian audience.  A Mile in His Shoes also helps people to understand a little more about , autism and Asperger's Syndrome, which is always a good thing.  Mickey is different, but he's a great kid and worth getting to know. 

For more info about this movie check out these links:
   
Website: http://www.watchgmctv.com/video/mile-his-shoes#biography

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Mile-In-His-Shoes/270101973014772?sk=wall

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev2T0BFetH4

Dove Foundation Review: http://www.dove.org/reviewmasterframe.asp

Would you like to win your own copy of A Mile in His Shoes?  To enter, please leave a comment on this post.  You can also earn additional entries by doing the following:

Take my poll in the sidebar and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment letting me know you did.  (If you've already taken the poll, just let me know in a comment and I will still count it as an additional entry.)

Follow me on facebook. (If you already follow, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)


Follow me on Twitter. (If you already follow, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect. (See sidebar. If you already follow, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner. (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

The rules: You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in my house. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to six entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, February 5, 2012. The winner will be chosen on Monday, February 6, 2012 or sometime soon after.


“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Take My Poll!!!

I just added a little poll to my sidebar.  I'm trying to decide just exactly what my readers are looking for.  I know that I've been doing mostly reviews and haven't posted a whole lot of personal stuff. I thought I'd see if that's something you're looking for or if it's the reviews you want.  Vote today!!!

New Review, Contest, and a Special Offer! Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure :)

I recently reviewed a sweet little book called Cooper and Me.  I was especially impressed because it was co-written by an 11 year-old, Alexa Peters, along with her mother, Monique.  Alexa even drew the illustrations!  I received the book free as part of the propeller blogger program.  So, when propeller contacted me to review another Cooper and Me book, I was happy to do so!  


In Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure, Cooper and his friend Bella go off on an adventure in the snow, and find themselves lost.  Cooper and Bella must then howl until another friend, Trooper, hears them and barks back.  The two lost dogs follow the sound of Trooper's barking to get back home.  This book would be a great way to teach your child what to do if he or she was ever lost.  One of my daughters wandered off once, and I was so glad she knew what to do.  The book retails for $12.99.  

Special Note:  $1 of every Winter Adventure book sold will go to advance research and treatment of pancreatic cancer, via the Lustgarten Foundation. (http://www.lustgarten.org/)

Also, our friends at Cooper and Me will be offering an EXCLUSIVE DEAL FOR MY BLOG READERS:  Make any purchase of $25 or more at CooperandMe.com and get FREE SHIPPING now through December 15. 

YOU MUST USE THIS CODE @ Check Out:  COOPERBLOG

For more information check out these links:

Website: http://www.cooperandme.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooper-and-Me-Inc/214695101924101

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cooper_and_me

The contest:

Now for the giveaway! Would you like to get a free copy of Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure? If so, just leave me a comment telling me who you'd read it with. ;) You can leave a comment either here or on my facebook page. For additional entries: 

Follow me on facebook.  (If you already follow, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter.  (If you already follow, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect. (See sidebar. If you already follow, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner. (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

The rules: You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in my house. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to five entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, December 23, 2011. The winner will be chosen on Monday, December 26, 2011 or sometime soon after.
 
"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or servicesmentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  
"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Out of Con*text*

The other day I was at church when I got a text message from my bestest friend.  It said: Luke went out on "seizure."  Well, some of her kids seem to go through little spells where they faint a lot, but never Luke, and they've never had actual siezures.  I found the way she worded it a little odd, so I asked my husband if he thought that it meant that Luke had a seizure.  He assumed it did, but I told him I was going to text back to be sure.  He tried to tell me not to bother her, but I had to know.  So I texted:  Huh, Luke had a siezure? 

A few minutes later I my phone beeped, and I quickly grabbed it.  Here's what the text said:  No.  He was in Spelling Bee.  Suddenly it all made sense to me.  I had known about the spelling bee but had forgotten all about it.  LOL  Apparently she also sent the message to another friend who was teaching a class who actually stopped the class to pray for Luke, and who also prayed for him every time she woke up that night! 

Communication is a funny thing sometimes, and people often misinterpret each other whether via text, e-mail, facebook, and even face to face.  Thinking about that makes me appreciate my relationship with God all the more.  He knows what I mean every single time, even when I don't even know myself!

Total Transformation Review (Part 2)

Okay, I know a lot of people have been very anxious to hear all about my experiences with the Total Transformation program.  Well, I am still very much working through the program.  Initially, my hope was to listen to one CD a week, implement what I learned, and blog about it.  However, it's not that simple.  I have been listening to the CDs, and they are so full of information that I cannot possibly digest everything just listening to the CD once.  Then there are the workbook pages to fill out, then there is LIFE!  LOL

Let me start out by saying that I had heard about this program for years before I got a chance to try it.  I always wondered if it really was as great as it sounded.  I even got online and tried to find reviews of it, but wasn't having much luck.  I found a few positive ones, but they seemed to be affiliates.  I found one negative review, one, and it was by a guy who never even had used or even seen it!  I was just dying to know what it was all about, but it seemed to be the world's best kept secret.  (Which isn't actually true, you can even get a free parenting newsletter.)

I really honestly thought that Total Transformation was just some money making scam.  Then I got the program and watched the DVD.  I might have heard it before, but I didn't remember that the creator of the program, James Lehman, was actually a very troubled youth.  He was a heroin addict and even served prison time.  So, I guess this guy knew something about troubled kids.  (Sadly, I also learned that James Lehman passed away last year.)  He also worked for years as a Childhood Behavioral Therapist.

I liked James Lehman and the program right away.  Yes, he does take more of a tough love approach than I am used to using.  I am not tough.  At all.  I am a wimp.  Or was.  LOL  I'm learning.  Here's just one thing I've learned.  I'm a negotiator.  Here's a real life example:  I had to run a few errands and told my youngest son, Baber, that if he had his whole list done when I got home he could have a reward.  (I actually forgot now what it was.  LOL)  Anyway, I got home and it wasn't done.  Old Me would have renegotiated and told him he could still get the reward if he did it in "x" amount of minutes.  New Me simply told him that he didn't do what I'd asked and wouldn't get the reward. Period.  He tried to renegotiate, but I held my ground.  If I keep it up, he'll soon know that I say what I mean, and mean what I say.  Simple, perhaps obvious, but I was always negotiating and renegotiating.  Yes, things were getting done, but not when they needed to be done, and every one of my kids seems to have a future in law.

Well, I'm getting ahead of myself, so let me back up a bit.  I've watched the DVD, listened to the first three CDs, did the workbook pages that go along with the first three CDs, and listened to the Bonus CD.  The program starts out by explaining the "whys" of your child's behavior.  Then the program goes on to explain how different parents respond to bad behavior.  I pretty much knew where I was having trouble, I knew I was a wimp. Then, and here's the part I like, James Lehman explains exactly how to change wrong parenting patterns which will, in turn, change wrong patterns of behavior in children.  That's the plan, anyway!  So far I have taken so few baby steps, I can't say I've had a total transformation with any of them, but I do think I am on my way.

I will share just one more thing I learned.  I have always tried to get inside my kids' heads when they did something wrong, especially if it was something, well, shall we say, uh, stupid?  Yeah, my kids do some things that are really just kinda dumb, and I am left scratching my head.  So, I ask them why.  Why? Why? Why do they do these things?  Well, James Lehman doesn't recommend asking why.  When you ask a child "why" when he does something that is clearly wrong, and I mean when you know that your child knows it was wrong before he even did it, you are actually implying that there is a reasonable explanation.  Otherwise, why would you ask for one?  He explains it much better than I do, but it made total sense to me.  Of course!  There is no reason "why" they did what they did other than they chose to break the rule.  That is all you need to know.  If you are doing the program you will have a pre-determined consequence for breaking the rule.  If you follow through with that you won't need to ask why, because if you are consistent, the behavior will end!  (Okay, not making a promise here, but stating a general principle.)

I do have to share one more thing I learned.  It was kinda eye-opening.  Since listening to this program, I have had a few incidences with the kids.  I've actually figured out that a couple of my more difficult children (Did I just say that? LOL) naturally have been using these very techniques on me!  Here's one of them: When someone starts to argue, walk away. My son did this very thing the other day.  I was upset about something and started to lecture him.  He turned and walked out of the room and into the basement.  What?! You know, it worked!  The discussion stopped.  I totally felt defeated, and though I don't know for sure, I can only guess that he felt quite in control of the situation.  Now, just to be the one to walk away first.  LOL

My youngest son likes to walk away too, but not until making his demand.  He says it like he means it, walks away, and just expects it to happen.  The other day I was getting ready to give him peas with dinner.  He looked at me and calmly and firmly told me, "I don't want peas."  Then he walked away with authority.  I actually had to talk myself into making him eat the peas because he spoke with such determination and conviction.  Then, when I gave him his dinner he said very calmly, and again, with determination and conviction, "I said I don't want peas."  Again, I had to take a deep breath and talk myself into giving him the peas!  (I tend to avoid confrontations, can you tell?)  In both of these cases, I kinda had to chuckle to myself.  I mean, maybe I don't need James Lehman; I could learn from these kids!

Anyway, like I said earlier, I am not done with the program.  I am really just still taking it all in.  I have realized that the name of the program refers a whole lot more to me, than to my children.  I do have a lot of bad parenting habits that I need to break, or I could say, that need a Total Transformation.  It won't happen overnight.  It's not magic.  I can't guarantee yet that it works, but I am sure liking what I see so far.  The few things I have been able to implement have seemed to work.  I'm pretty much already a believer.

Is the program really anything new?  No, I imagine that most of this info is really just common sense that could be gleaned elsewhere.  Why buy it then?  Well, it's just so well put together.  All the information is organized for you to work through, step by step.  There are the CDs, the workbook exercises, and there's even additional support you can get with the free newsletter and the parenting hotline.  (Once you get the program you can, for an additional fee, get access to a parenting hotline that you can call to get help in any situation.)

Are you interested yet?  Here is a link to the program:

Child Discipline Methods – http://www.thetotaltransformation.com/

Here's where you can get the free parenting newsletter:

http://www.empoweringparents.com/parenting-newsletter.php

I needed to get this review up today because I was asked to have it done by December 1.  However, I will be continuing to use the program and, God willing, will continue to blog about my progress!!!  I hope you'll stay tuned!

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."


Happy Parenting!!!