Grace

Sometimes the best thing you can do is give yourself grace and pamper yourself some.

Be easy on yourself on things that aren't that important, and pray that God will help you to be firm on yourself in avoiding sin solutions.

Give all your strength to protecting yourself so that you do not fall into sin.

Don't allow the comforts of sin to be your comforts.

Domestic Violence and Abuse

Did you know 1 in every 4 women have experienced some type of domestic abuse?

Think about that ratio for a minute. One out of every four of your friends is facing or has faced some type of violence or abuse. Now do you realize that you probably don't even know who they are? That's because it has been silenced and shamed for so long. Women have thought it was their fault and kept it to them selves, never seeking help or even comfort.

Did you know I am that 1 in 4? When I finally told those that I thought were people that I could trust and would be there for me for emotional support,  I was let down. I had some great support but there was the ones that didn't believe me. I actually think that hurt more than any of the abuse I went through. All I wanted was comfort of knowing people cared about me and I wasn't the horrible person I was told I was.

I guess what I wanted to get out of this is to tell you all to have open ears and open hearts. The things we may not always think we can handle but we can always bring it to prayer with God. Do not let your friend or your neighbor be silenced. Do not let yourself be silenced. God can change hard hearts and heavy hearts, we just have to open up those silenced hearts first.

Abuse can come in many forms. It's not always physical. It can be a mental break down of who you are. They could be controlling of you and what you do.

While it is terrifying to believe an abusive  person has been studying you like a book. He knows your strengths, weaknesses, blind-spots, emotional reactions and what lengths you are willing to go to, better than you do. That is because he has been studying you, testing you and training you like a dog to react a certain way. And that is no exaggeration, such people are expert manipulators. You are playing against a stacked deck already. No matter how confident, self-assured or competent you think yourself, realize that he knows your strengths and weaknesses before hand and is building his strategy around that knowledge.

If you are in a marriage that is controlling I belive that is a form of abuse. You really do have some choices before you move out. As a Christian woman we want to do what is right and try to save our marriage. You can give your husband the choice of being controlling or of being frustrated. The reason we get frustrated in our lives is that things we want to happen don’t. That doesn't mean we have to use it against those we are married to.

For example: you might want to buy a new pair of shoes. He yells {the normal way to try to control is to use intimidation} at you, and you respond sweetly: “I’ve thought about your request that you should go buy them for me with what you think is in budget, but I think I can pick some out with in the same budget and it will allow me some time out of the house. But thank you for the offer to help me, I just really enjoy shopping for my own shoes” He says: "You’re just selfish.” You could say: “I love you and and it will be nice for me.” If he is prone to violence, have the phone near by to call 911 if he threatens you physically. If he hits you, call the police and have him arrested. It’s against the law to hit women for not wearing what you want them to. On the other hand, he might decide to start respecting you when you decide to start respecting yourself and taking a stand for yourself as a partner in the marriage. When controlling people don’t get their way, they will end up frustrated. Some people don’t have a high tolerance for frustration. Those people do not make good candidates for a strong relationship such as marriage. A controlling person will not change without your first making some decisions about the quality of your and your children’s lives, and without YOU making some changes.

With any violence we have to stand up for ourselves. That doesn't mean put the boxing gloves on and get in the ring with them. That means known your worth as a person, as a woman, and then as a wife. Even in a marriage you are not less than the man you are married to. You are his partner to stand with him. He is to lead you to the path of honor. If he isn't then you have the job to take the lead of your own life and and lead the way there. Just know you are not alone ever.

Hey Mama! Print Homeschool Planner 2016-2017 Review

Vendor: The Old Schoolhouse
Product: Hey Mama! Print Homeschool Planner 2016-2017
Price: $29.00 USA

About: I just love The Old Schoolhouse so I was super excited to get the chance to review their new planner, Hey Mama! Print Homeschool Planner 2016-2017. I mean who doesn't need need a good planner to keep them organized these days? Hey Mama! They got you covered! Hey Mama Planner is 196 pages long. It is 9"x11" and spiral bound as well. Shipping is free and they also ship to Canada and international for additional cost of the planner.

Hey Mama Planner has monthly calenders to keep tract of appointments,  birthdays, special occasions,  or trips. There is pages for notes, your goals, reading book logs, and weekly agenda. Then what every homeschool mom is looking for, there is a great section for curricumum tracking. Which will be nice to keep together what we are using. Hey Mama also offers some devotions for those times you need that extra kick to get you through the day.  There are also some additional things that help in homeschool like story starters and transcripts.

Since our new homeschool year has not started yet we have not gotten to write in the planner yet. Hey Mama! Don't let that make you think I don't have a list of things I am planning on putting down in it. I really like the calendar the best I think. I've never had a planner than had a calendar big enough for me to write in. I usually always print one for each month to write our appointments, homeschool park days and activities in. Now I can have it in the same place as my planner so I don't have to go back and forth with my planner and my binder when planning to see what days are busy. I also am in love with the Hey Mama Planner's devotions and inspiring scripture. I am a Christian and though I strive everyday I know I still fail too. I need and love to see those to uplift me and to remind me there is a brighter day and I am forgiven. The weekly agenda I will use to put what I will be working on weekly with the kids. Since I don't personally have a lot of planning for myself I will use it for their school work lesson planning. Then the space to put the book lists will help us keep track of what we have read for the year.

My kids are not old enough to need to start a transcript but this will come in handy for those that have high schoolers. Also this will make me want to continue to use this planner so when the time comes I can be familiar with it and use it to make my transcripts for the kids. I really think this planner "has it all". It has more writing space than most planners, which I write big so is helpful for me.

I am also a full time college student. I can see this being helpful to me as a mom and student to keep me organized if I had wanted to use it for more me than just my kids studies. It seems like it would be pretty versatile. Hey Mama go check it out!

Be sure to check The Old Schoolhouse out on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoldschoolhouse/?fref=ts
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tosmagazine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOSMag
Google+:https://plus.google.com/+Theoldschoolhouse1

Also click the banner below and see what my fellow crew mates have to say about how they used the planner. You know everyone has different needs so it may give you different ideas on how this may benifit you in a different way.

Sunya Publishing Review

Vendor: Sunya Publishing
Product: Sunya - The Magic and Wonder of Math and Science Multiplying & Dividing
Age: 9 and up

About: One way many kids like to learn is through games. It takes the feeling of having to do homework and makes it fun. They do not feel like they are working and get caught up in enjoying it. So when Sunya Publishing gave us the opportunity to review Sunya - The Magic and Wonder of Math and Science Multiplying & Dividing, we were very excited.  Sunya is designed for kids nine years and older to play. However Sunya is a very family friendly company and would work well with adults to play along, even to help with those just learning their multiplication facts and having issues. You get the game book, six custom Sunya Multiplying & Dividing  playing cards, the Sunya Multiplying & Dividing Number Line Tool, and thirty math and science fact and riddle cards. The directions/rules are a bit overwhelming and confusing. I am still not sure we get the full gist of them but we are still having fun. Everyone starts out with four cards. You make a math sentance and then try to make new ones with your cards. You do this until you run out of cards and to yell Sunya. That means you win. This took my kids a bit to understand. They were just kind of like, umm I'm out of cards now what? Haha, it was funny. Once they got the hang of it meaning they won it was far more exciting for them.  Like I said we are still working on trying to figure all the rules out. We keep the book out with us as we play and try to work on a new rule each time we play. The book is mostly in black and while with a few colored pages. I think the kids like the color pages better. They seemed to pay attention to reading those more than the others. 
I also really wanted to make sure to mention the way the number cards are made. Each one has the number boldly printed on it and then under it it has the corresponding amount of dots. This may not seem like a big deal to most people that would be using with with kids nine years and older, however it is a huge deal for kids with dyslexia. My 10 year old is severely dyslexic and many times things like this make or break her being able to use it. The smallest thing as being able to tell the difference in a 6 and a 9 without being embarassed and having to ask someone when trying to play a game against your sister...priceless. So for that small addition to your cards I want to thank you Sunya Publishing. I really think that if anyone would like a challenge to put against their kids in math, this is the game for you. Get this brains working, and get those families involved. 
Also be sure to check out what my other crew members had to say about Sunya - The Magic and Wonder of Math and Science Multiplying & Dividing. Some of them also got the opportunity to review Sunya - The Magic and Wonder of Math and Science Adding & Subtracting, which is suggested for children seven and up. 

Memoria Press Astronomy Review

Vendor: Memoria Press
Product: Book of Astronomy Set
Age: Grades 3 and up
Price: $31.90

About:Memoria Press presented me with the Book of Astronomy Set to review. This comes with the student guide as well as the teacher guide. The student guide is intended for one student but you can purchase additional student books for $14.95.  It is recommended for grades 3 to 5 but I think older could use it as well and still learn from it. The book goes over constellations, names of stars, motion of the earth, the seasons, and the zodiacs.

How we used: The book is broken down into four units. Each of those units are then broken down into lessons with in that unit. Each one focuses on a star, planet or constellation or like. When the lesson is presented it is then followed by an activity. These are things like drawings, questions, charts, or discussions. At the end of the completed unit there is then a complete review over the unit. The student book also contains an appendix that contains extra activity sheets. The teacher books contains all the lessons as well as the answers to the activities. There are also unit tests and a complete final test for the whole book.

We really enjoyed the lessons. They were short and to the point. This kept the daugher interested and there was not to much information thrown in at once ro confuse her. He do not own an overhead so when that was mentioned to use we just had to look at the sheet. The lessons were all fun and went nicely with the lesson. She really enjoyed drawing the constellations. This prompted her to try to find them of a night. I really love that it perked her intrest in something outside of "school time" and made her want to learn more and want to ask more questions. Our discussions at the end of lessons I think lasted much longer than the lessons did. We worked on the lessons daily. She was ready for more every day and to make sure she remembered everything we learned the day before. We didn't do the test because tests make her anxious and nervous but I don't think excluding them from the units took away from the work. I think it would work great for other kids that need that accountability though. It would also work well if you need those types of things to show in portfolios or end of the year evaluations in your homeschool.

Memoria Press is a Christian company and this book would work well for a child curious about Astronomy or for a homeschooler needing to add this into their lessons. They also offer other great topics and you can check out a few others from my crew mates by clicking the banner below. There is also other reviews on Astronomy as well. So don't just take my word for it, see what others have to say, you won't be sorry.

Swiss Vita Eye Lift Cream

Swiss Vita is a 3D Eye Lift Cream. Works for wrinkles and dark circles. It is made from natural herbs found from the Amazon.

I don't have wrinkles but I did have bags under my eyes. After two weeks you can see a difference in them, though it is going to take longer before they will be completely gone. There has been no I'll reactions or side effects.

Application: Use 3D eye cream every morning and night after toner. Take a pea-size and apply onto skin around eyes, tap with light pressure or massage gently with finger pulp. U did recieve this free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review


http://www.amztk.com/eye-lift

#swissvita

Dollar General Penny Shopping

Who knew you could actually shop with pennies? I started a group just for learning to shop at Dollar General using only your pennies.

*****!!!!*****STOP! BREATH! READ!*****!!!!***

Ok newbies. Here it is. There is not an official list of every single penny item. It is just not going to happen. Things that are a penny are basicly things that have clearanced out and are not being sold anymore. These items are removed from the shelf but things are missed and left behind as treasures for us to find.

How do we know what is a penny you ask? Well things get leaked from managers as well as us learning sale patterns. Things usually start out at 25% off and go through 90% off, some stores do 25c instead or pull at 70%. Things always ger pulled Monday nights so on Tuesday mornings those things left behind will be a penny. We will let the group know Monday evening what the new penny list will be. We then bring these to you guys.

How to identify penny items. They use tags with a shape and code system.
SP – Spring
S – Summer
FA/F – Fall
W – Winter
13 – 2013
14 – 2014
15 – 2015
16 – 2016
Dot/Star/Dimond
When we give you an item that is pennied you must look for that color shape. Usually anything from last year and later will be a penny. This item will be a penny until it resets which won't be until the following year for the season it pennied in.
Example, s15 means summer 2015. A pink dot tag with s15 that has pennied will be a penny until it resets which will be until s16. Sometimes things reset and there are still old things left behind so there will be penny items out there that we may say to look for something like *example only* yellow star toys f11 or later only. Anything newer would be full price.

Also there are always suprise unmarked pennies. We do not know what these are unless we just try them. If you buy something and it is a penny share it and help others and they will do the same for you.

Pennies are the same no matter where you live. Please never ask a worker if an item is a penny. If you find a penny take as many as you find because once you check out you can not go back for more as they will generally go back and remove the rest from the shelf. If they refuse your sell show them their policy which is in the comments as well as in the reference album. If they still give you issues report them to corporate, numbers also listed with the policy. Also please be polite and do not argue and do not make a mess.