Brag From The Heart
It is not everyday that a mom brags on herself right? I’m not sure if moms should boast, but it does make us feel good inside so I think all moms should!
As many of you all know, over the last year I have been a full-time college student in the Computers Information Technology program. Mom + Technology = Geek Mom. It’s ok, I will wear the title proudly HAHA!
On to the brag Jen….
I received a letter in the mail yesterday from the college. My fingers hurriedly and ripped it open to see what they possibly had to tell me during my summer break.
Dear Jennifer:
Being named to the President’s List means that a student has earned a 4.0 grade point average on a full-time course load during the most recent semester of enrollment. The President’s List is the highest academic honor bestowed on students prior to graduation.
I am very pleased to advise you that you have been included on the President’s List for spring semester. This distinction will be permanently noted on your transcript.
The entire college family joins me in commending you for having attained this honor. We wish the best for you as you continue your studies.
My heart swelled, my face lit up, and I yelled immediately for my husband to come and see this must-read. He smiled, and just looked into my eyes. He knew I was pretty stoked to get this letter and his arms gently wrapped around mine with the biggest hug. I knew right then, my husband was just as proud as I was.
Now that is a brag from the heart!
No tags for this post.Nationals Mom Nite Out Boone NC Recap
The following words came right from Sarah of Real Life Blog’s “Well, the first National Mom’s Night Out, the Boone location, was a HUGE success!”
We had 120 moms there, along with pampering specialists with make-up, massages, fitness and such great entertainment! You know when I first emailed with Maria Bailey about National Moms Nite Out, I never knew it would be this huge for Boone, NC. I immediately grabbed up Sarah to help me with this event. The weird part was, I never even worked with Sarah before. We live in the same town and I didn’t even know it until a few months ago. I was reading her blog with my little M and she noticed a picture of Sarah’s little girl. She said mommy “I go to school with her, she is my friend.” I was like what??? So, of course I emailed Sarah and sure enough their classes are right beside each other. Such a small world. We have really became fast friends and I have enjoyed every minute of it.
The planning of this event was so fun and I know this is only the beginning of great things you will see from us both. Sarah is definitely a true gem! I just want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Sarah so much for teaming up with me. We rocked Boone, NC girl and to hear the great wonderful feedback from the moms on our first event. I just cannot stop smiling from ear to ear. Love ya girl.
I also want to publicly thank my best friend Cindy for all her hard work in helping us set-up for this great event. We appreciated it so much. We have got her on this blogging roller coaster now and I think she is really addicted to it, just as we are!
photo ©2009 Maggie Farrington
And this night would never have happened without Maria Bailey, www.momTV.com and www.newbaby.com. She is always coming up with spectacular ideas to bring moms together and have a LOT of fun!
Julie Maloney, who blogs at www.momspective.com and www.wiimommies.com drove all the way from Charlotte to bring the brand new EA SPORTS Active virtual fitness program for us to try! She is one of 12 people in the country who has a copy right now, for a 30-Day Challenge, before it is released on May 19!
We also could not have pulled off the National MNO without the staff at the Broyhill Inn! Doug and Laura reigned in Jen’s and my wild ideas and helped us focus in and deal with the details. (details, schmetails) And Bob accomodated all our tech needs, with a simulcast, projecting it on the big screen, another huge screen with the EA SPORTS Active for the Wii, and so much more!
photo ©2009 Maggie Farrington
We had two great performances at the party. The Appalachian Rhythm Cloggers gave us a great show, with dancers of all ages, and led the crowd in a dance as well. And Laura and Doug Kaufman played their incredible music. Laura has such a sweet voice and an even sweeter heart. Check out her music, including her soothing Lullabies CD at her website.
The kids areas were essential to having all the guests there! We didn’t want to leave out those moms who didn’t have a babysitter, so High Country Mommies provided homemade Playdough and Coloring for the kids room, and Appalachian Party Rentals brought a bounce house to help expend some energy! Thanks so much!
Maggie Farrington took some great photos of the night, which are on Facebook here. Visit her website to see all of her fab photography ~ she really has a way of capturing children!
Here is a video montage I put together of the night:
Please visit all our generous sponsors who really want to reach out to moms and let us know they appreciate us!
Door Prize Offerings:
- Broyhill Inn
- Hayes Performing Arts Center/ Blowing Rock Stage Company
- Appalachian Therapeutic Bodyworks (new location at Shoppes at Shadowline)
- Suddenly Showing
- Grandfather Mountain
- Makoto
- Wellness Center
- Harmony Center for Women’s Health and Vitality
- One Step Ahead
- River Girl Fishing Company
- Maria Bailey, The Ultimate Mom book
- Creative Labs VADO Pocket Video Camera
- Lowe’s Foods
- Mast Farm Inn
- Precious Moments
- Game Stop, Boone
- EA SPORTS Active
- Mary Kay and Jennifer Hendricks’ consultant team
Swag Bags:
- Little Debbie
- The Pork Store ( I promise they committed prior to the H1N1 virus! Not a pr move! lol!)
- Earthfare
- Harris Teeter
- Food Lion
- Carolina Pad fashionable stationery
- SmartMom Solutions
- Dropps Laundry Detergent
- Upspring Baby
Here’s to 2010 Sarah! I can’t wait 
NC/SC Bloggers, stay tuned for other great events that Sarah and I are going to have coming up. I will keep you posted.
No tags for this post.Another Sign My Big Girl is Growing Up
As you may recall, I wrote recently about Madisyn not wanting to lose any teeth. She was downright sad about having one of her teeth come out. This certain tooth has been quite loose for a while, but mommy dear here could not come even within inches near the tooth or the claws would come out 
.
Well last week, she kept showing me and I knew it was going to be time soon. She would shed so many tears. I just kept coaching her through it and telling her, that when she becomes a big girl that she has to loose her baby teeth and her big girl teeth will come in.
The day had come. I peeled her an apple (her favorite snack) and gave it to her not even thinking anything of her tooth. I was in the kitchen and she came with tears. I said what is wrong honey. Mommy (with her mouth open wide) is my tooth missing? Sure enough it was gone.
I grabbed the apple trying to see if I seen it in the apple any, I went and looked on the floor, I looked on the coffee table, the couch. OH NO, my little girl has swallowed her tooth. NOOOOO! I told her what happened…. and she immediately went face down on the couch and started crying 
. Daddy and Mommy ran straight to the rescue and told her it was going to be ok. She then said but mommy… the tooth fairy will not leave me anything if I don't have the tooth to show her I really lost one.
Well mommy thought for a minute and came up with a good plan, we would write the tooth fairy a note! Madisyn wrote it out to tooth fairy: (click on the image to read the letter)
That made her happy and she was already for bed and to put it under the pillow.
The tooth fairy left her $3.00 So she is putting ther in her piggy bank to save up for a special something she said LOL.
She just turned 5 and I couldn't believe she was already losing her first tooth. Why does time have to go so fast?
No tags for this post.We Finally Tied the Knot after 6 Years
We are a married couple now! Of all the things that have went on in the past month, we both needed this in our lives.
We went to my uncle's house (he is in a preacher at a church here in NC that my parents go to) and performed the small ceremony there.
Madisyn our oldest daughter was smiling ear to ear through the whole ceremony, but Lyndsee our youngest just wasn't quite sure what was going on hehe .
I'm so happy and glad we finally did this. It has been a long time coming and something we needed to do .
Yes we did things a little backwards, had our two wonderful girls first then got married, but this will definitely a story to tell our girls when they get older and they see they were both in attendance at mom and daddy's wedding!
You can click on the picture above to see all the pictures
She Is Such an Old Soul
I have always said my oldest daughter has such an old soul about her. She is always warming my heart and we have the most intelligent conversations between each other. I just had to share this conversation we had. It really blew me away.
Madisyn: Mommy my heart is beating.
Me: Well honey that is a good thing. We want our hearts to beat. That is what keeps us alive.
Madisyn: But mommy, the reason our hearts beat is because Jesus is in our hearts making it beat. And when we are sleeping he sleeps in our tummy's.
Me: Well you are exactly right Madisyn about Jesus being in our hearts. I'm not so sure if he sleeps in our tummy's though.
Madisyn: Mommy yes he does. The reason our hearts beat is because he does magic. His grandfather God is the one who watches over him and lets him be in our hearts but he does it in a magic way.
Me: Hanging with my mouth open…. Yes, baby girl you are absolutely right.
—————————–
Here is another conversation we had as well. Madisyn just recently turned 5 and I always kept telling her, you are going to be such a big girl when you turn 5 years old. I was just trying to say that she is growing up and no longer mommy's little baby girl anymore.
I guess she really took this to heart cause she said mommy, I keep looking in the mirror and I don't look any different. You said when I turned five I was going to grow up and be a big girl. I still just look like Madisyn did when she was four.
Well….. hehe. I love her soooo much. She really does keep me going with our little conversations we have. She has really grew up way too fast and I miss her being so little everyday, but I am enjoying this stage a whole bunch as well.
No tags for this post.Happy Thanksgiving
I wanted to take this wonderful day to give thanks to all my familly,
Scott – We have had our times, but in the end everything works out and I am so thankful God let our paths cross. Here is to our wonderful family. I love you with all my heart Scott!!
Madisyn – You are my first born Madisyn and you made me mommy. I love you and so thankful you are my daughter. I love your spunk and eager to learn. You are one amazing young lady and so beautiful.
Lyndsee – Baby girl you have been through so much, but you never ever forget to smile. I love you and so thankful you are also my daughter. I could not imagine life without you and Madisyn. You are sooo comical and always keep us laughing.
KK- My beautiful step-daughter. This is first thanksgiving apart but know you are in are hearts as always. I am so thankful for you coming in my life with your dad and thankful that the girls have such a wonderful big sister. I love your craziness girlie and always making me smile. Love you!
My parents and brothers – I am going to miss you all so much this year but know I am sooo thankful for my family. You all are one of a kind and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you all and thanks for being such good parents and siblings.
Friends – I am sooo very thankful for my friends online and offline. They keep me so sane and get me going through the days hehe. Friends are worth a million bucks thats for sure and I wouldn't change my friends for anything.
ENJOY your THANKSGIVING everyone and don't shop too much on Black Friday hehe. Love to all ~ Jen
I Finally Got a Hair Cut Unbelievable
Soooo…. I have not went and had my hair done in over a year and it was starting to get on my nerves. I wanted a more hip style instead of same ole borning hair everyday.
I am so in love with it. I would love to hear your opinions.
Here is what my hair looked like right before I left:
And… now drumroll please LOL. Here are the after shots
Scott is absolutely in love with it. He was so proud I actually finally went and did it! He is always on to me that he wished I would do something with my hair… well now he can't say anything hehe
Where Has Jen Been
Madisyn brought home a touch of the flu bug to us… lovely aspect of school huh? We are getting back on mends.
I have been busy too trying to play Dr. Mom, Work at Home Mom, and Entreprenuer Mom all at the same time here lately. I am very excited to launch two new projects this week that I know you moms are just going to love. We have just a bit of some programming left to do but I want to launch this week so stay tuned….
You all are going to be so excited .
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No tags for this post.How To Get Your Kids Eat All Their Lunch
I just have to write about how I have got my oldest daughter Madisyn to eat all her lunch. She started a new preschool a month ago and she goes 4 hours a day versus the 3 hours a day she was going at her other one.
Since she is going the hour longer, they require parents to bring their childs lunch each day. I was trying to think how I could get my picky eater to eat her lunch at school. Madisyn now is my very creative child who loves unique creations and artistic…. sooo I set off to target to find something that would let me be creative with her lunch.
Here is what I found:
Airtight Food Storage Container – 3.6 Cup Square Divided Lock & Lock
What makes this so unique is, when you open the lid there are four little cups in there all the same size. This allows you to fill each cup differently and the child will only have to open the main lid instead of opening three or four different lids.
Each day I change it up to where she does not have the same thing each day. She comes home every singe day with all her food gone and I always get a "Mommy thank you for my lunch today"
I usually do a sandwich or some kind of wrap or roll-up of turkey or ham and cheese. She loves the natural peanut butter on melba toast too YUMMM. If I do the sandwiches, I always cut them in different shapes like squares, triangles, or circles. That's always a big hit.
Then I always have her one veggie a day.. the three she likes the best are tomatoes, cucumbers or carrots. Of course we do one fruit a day as well, her favorites are sliced pineapples, apples, and grapes.
With the fourth container I include either a salty or sweet snack. Her all-time favories are the Annie's Homegrown Cheddar Bunnies Baked Snack Crackers, Original, 12-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)
All of these foods let me change it up from day to day to where she does not get bored with same foods each day. She just cannot wait till she gets to school to see what I pack for her. Another great tip is drawing a little picture and putting I LOVE YOU on it for her to find .
Anyways, I just wanted to let you know about this in case you were having a hard time getting your children to eat lunch. You can easily do this at home with them as well. I strongly believe when she goes to kindy next year that I will do the same, just so I can know what food is going into my little girl's body .
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