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I am often surprised by what my children like. This is my 8th grader's Beach Cruiser. One day she was looking online at XYZ bicycles and begged for a Beach Cruiser. She was super excited when she found her bike at the store. She even found a detachable wicker basket with a strap for it.

I would have never guessed that this would be her dream bike. She loves the thing. She rides around town proudly showing it off. When I was a kid I could not wait to get a 10 speed but her's just sits around and never gets used.

Our family LOVES Nutella but we keep finding that many people have no clue what it is. Nutella is a delicious creamy spread made out of roasted hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa.

It should be stored way back in the cupboards hidden from view. If it is not stored in this way little Nutella goblins come and eat it all. You will know this has happened when you open the jar and find that it only has a light coating on the sides that is impossible to get to unless you use your finger.

There are all kinds of interesting ways to eat Nutella but we usually just eat it on bread. Sometimes we put it on Ritz crackers. If we really feel adventurous we will put some on french toast.

I loved how the bathroom looked when we redid everything... and then the dog scratched up the walls. She started scratching at everything when she went into labor. I will have to plaster and repaint a few areas in the bathroom when this whole puppy business is over.

I have however just realized that we never changed the lights in there. They are very outdated! I should change the lights to something more modern like this minka lavery 6023-77. I can look forward to that at least.

We have a winner to announce for the
18"x 24" Poster Print giveaway!


Congrats to Randy for winning this giveaway.

We still have two more giveaways going on.
Make sure to enter both of them!

Giveaway - Lemon Tree Cards (ends Oct 14)
Giveaway - 24x36 Vinyl Banner (ends Oct 30)

Halloween can be a very unhealthy day for kids and the environment. This year a new milk box campaign called Trick Or Treat Me will help with both. Your little monsters will get tons of candies and chocolates. Not only will they be stuffed full of sugar but it also produces tons of plastic wrappers that need to be disposed of.

It is always important to limit how much of the candy they can eat each day. It is often hard to keep kids eating healthy on busy days though. You are very limited in what healthy foods you can feed your kids on the go.

Hershey’s and Organic Valley have great travel milk cartons that are single servings and are shelf stable. You can take them anywhere and be sure that your child has something healthy. The Tetra Pak cartons are also a great choice for keeping the environment healthy.

There is also a great app on Twitter. All of you Twitter addicted people can check out Trick Or Treat Me on Twitter and send out Tricks or Treats to your friends. I am sure some of them deserve Tricks! Tetra Pak will make a 10¢ donation to World Wildlife Fund for every trick or treat you tweet out (up to $30,000).

We all know that James loves to waste money on silly things. Here is his latest purchase. These are a pair of Walk N’ Clean Slippers. They allow you to clean the floor without ever really bending over or using much energy.

I think they are silly and a waste of money. James and the girls think that they are awesome. My girls already clean the floors by standing on cleaning towels and rubbing them around with their feet so why buy something for that same purpose.

Oh well, maybe they will clean the floors more often for a little while. I am sure that they will get bored of them very quickly though.

One of the things that we keep putting off is getting quotes on auto insurance. We have been with the same company for years and I would really like to get something cheaper.

When we first got them we did it out of laziness. We wanted to just do it online and they were the biggest company online at the time. They advertised that they would give you quotes from many companies and their own.

Yes, they showed that they had the best price but they only showed a few companies. I have heard about friends paying much less with other companies but we just never made the time to check out other companies. People are always shocked at how much we pay when I tell them.

I really want to make some time to look at other websites. This time I will look at websites that give quotes but are not an insurance company themselves. I should get better results that way.

I just want cheap liability auto insurance. I do not want to just keep throwing away money on a company that did not really help us much when James got hit in Chicago.

Everything they promised in the beginning they went back on later. Apparently to them uninsured motorist insurance is only if the person has enough money for them to sue. The guy that hit James has no money so they have paid for barely anything.

We are known for the strange things that you can find in our kitchen. Today I will show you another glimpse into what our kitchen holds. Snapea Crisps are a snack food that you can convince yourself into thinking is good for you. They can be harder to find so here is a list of stores that carry them.

They are not as completely bad for you as regular snack foods but they are not as good as just eating some vegetables. They have very few ingredients... Green Peas, Corn Oil, Rice, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). They are baked instead of being fried, yet they have a nice fluffy crispiness to them.

They tend to disappear fast in this house once the bag is open. You just keep popping them in your mouth. I really do not taste the peas in them. It just has a light flavor.

Nutrition facts
Serving Size 22 pieces (1 oz) 28g

Amount per serving
Calories 150 Calories from Fat 70

% Daily Value
Total Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 125mg 5%
Total Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugars 1g
Protein 5g
Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 6%, Calcium 6%, Iron 4%

I really could use a new mattress. I never know what I need though. I thought I needed a firm mattress but then it was too firm. Then I got a softer mattress but it was too soft.

Then you add on the fact that every store has different names for the mattresses they sell even though they are the same mattresses that everyone else is selling. You want a good mattress since you spend how much of your life in bed but sales people just want to make a commission.

I was checking out the Sweet Dreams Mattress website and they have a great Ask The Experts section. It has answers to some real questions and you can ask your own. Why can't more store be more straightforward?

This Tuesday was Neona's birthday. James is a shopaholic so birthdays end up being a week long event. She got many gifts but today I will tell you about the Snuggie for Kids. She absolutely loves it and it came with another favorite in our family... slipper socks.

I do not like having the house too warm and James wants the windows open for as long as possible. This means that everyone in our house is used to watching tv under a blanket. My house is stuffed full of blankets and comforters. The comforters are the biggest issue. I am so sick of having comforters all over my livingroom. I also tend to yell at kids for dragging comforters through the house because they have them wrapped around them.

The Snuggie for Kids that Neona got was perfect. I am going to have to get some for the rest of the kids. They will even take up less room in my closets!

I have been trying to find the time to clean out closets and get some organizing done. Everyday I tell myself that I will get something accomplished. I sit at the computer and start working and the next thing I know it is time to pick up the kids. The days just keep flying by and but I still do not get to my to do list.

I hate moving and we have moved a lot, but that is the only time that I feel like my house is not full of clutter and disorganized. Every time we move we find the local self storage units. We start packing up the things that we really do not need and put them into storage.

The house no longer has clutter, it is easier to clean, and I no longer have closets that are stuffed full. I also love that my house does not fill up with boxes.

After we move I take my sweet time unpacking. After moving to different cities many times and across the country twice, I have become the queen of box labeling. I know exactly what boxes have to be unpacked and which ones can sit until I have time. I could probably leave some packed forever.

At times I wish that we always had a storage unit. I could use the extra space or I could just run away and hide in it!

I was asked to check out AlmostDiamonds.com and give a review. There really is something for everyone. In a time when people are trying to cut back spending, cubic zirconia are becoming more popular than ever. They have everything from large cocktail rings to little dainty baby bracelets with bells.

They even have a large selection of Cubic Zirconia Engagement Rings but I do not know really like the idea of that. If you have not taken the time to save more than $50 and have to look at Fake Diamond Engagement Rings maybe you are not ready to be married. Well, I guess you could always get a nicer one later. A woman I knew got an engagement ring made out of a gum wrapper. The man did end up with a great job years later and got her a huge ring.
I did find a few things that I would not mind having. I really like jewelry but at the same time I have this guilt when I spend money on myself. Maybe guilt is not the right word. I just always feel like there are better things to spend money on. Almost Diamonds look great and they cost much less so I do not think I would have that guilt. I could look great and feel great.

I have a new giveaway to announce from our great sponsors over at UPrinting. The prize is (1) 24" x 36" Vinyl Banner w\ grommets. That is a $62 value. They have again offered this prize with Free UPS Ground shipping. You must live in the United States to win.

These vinyl banners are top notch. They are not cheap looking like a low-end banner. These banners with photo quality printing can have man uses. (examples - weddings, parties, graduations, advertisements, rallies, political campaigns and backdrops) The heavy metal grommets make them easy to hang. Add that to the high quality vinyl and you will have a banner that can last for years. When thinking of a design for your banner think of something that can be used and reused for the long life of the banner!

Check out UPrinting for more info on Banner Printing and these Vinyl Banners. The winner will be announced on October 30th.

HOW CAN YOU ENTER?

Your main entry will be to comment on this post about what you would use a vinyl banner for.

EXTRA ENTRIES

• Blog about the giveaway and include a link back to this post and UPrinting. Make a new comment here with the URL to your post. I will add two extra entrees for you so this will give you three entrees!
  
• Follow this blog - It is on the left sidebar. If you are already a follower it still counts. Make a new comment here that includes your follower name.
• Subscribe to the RSS Feed (left side bar) and make a new comment.
• Add the Your Fun Family Blog to your blogroll. Make a new comment and be sure to use your URL when you post it.
• Fav the Your Fun Family Blog on Technorati and make a new comment.
• Follow us on Twitter and make a new comment.
• Share this giveaway post on Kirtsy, Digg, Twitter, Stumble, or anything else you can think of.

Each one comment counts for one entry so each should have a separate comment. It must include the link where it can be found to count. I will be deleting comments that do not follow the rules so others get a fair chance.

Everyday it gets easier and easier to stalk old friends, old loves, neighbors, coworkers, or even just someone that asked for a date. Oh, I'm sorry did I say stalk? I meant look up out of curiosity. Sometimes I slip up while typing.

Of course I do not stalk people. I will however stand up and admit that I have looked up the court records on every man that has asked me out on a date ever since it has been available online. I also check the sex offender registry regularly so I know where they all live. I am insanely protective a cautious mommy.

The internet had made it super easy to find people. This is a big plus when you are looking for that old friend or old love that you have lost touch with. I have reconnected with many people from the past through websites like MyLife. I am amazed to see how many of my old boyfriends have contacted me online and how they have turned out. Some have great families and great jobs. Many of them do not and this gives me a selfishly good feeling inside.

There is one old bestfriend that I would love to find but I never have any luck. I tried MyLife but there is no info on her there either.

We have a new giveaway to announce! Who would like to turn their favorite photo into a 18"x24" poster print? This giveaway is sponsored by DigitalRoom.com. You could make a business poster. A poster of your favorite picture of your kids. You could even do something with your pets or nature. Think of the possibilities!

One lucky winner will win an 18"x24" rolled poster print. Be sure to check out our sponsor to learn more about their Digital Printing or their Poster Printing. This offer is open to US residents only. FREE UPS Ground Shipping for US residents. No shipping or handling fees will be charged to claim prizes for this week’s Giveaway. Winner will be selected on Sept 29.

I will really need to think about what I will get printed for my gift. I am thinking maybe a picture from one of our trips.

HOW CAN YOU ENTER?

Your main entry will be to comment on this post about what you would like to turn into a poster.

EXTRA ENTRIES

• Blog about the giveaway and include a link back to this post. Make a new comment here with the URL to your post.
• Follow this blog - It is on the left sidebar. If you are already a follower it still counts. Make a new comment here that includes your follower name.
• Subscribe to the RSS Feed (left side bar) and make a new comment.
• Add the Your Fun Family Blog to your blogroll. Make a new comment and be sure to use your URL when you post it.
• Fav the Your Fun Family Blog on Technorati and make a new comment.
• Follow us on Twitter and make a new comment.
• Share this giveaway post on Kirtsy, Digg, Twitter, Stumble, or anything else you can think of.

Each one counts for one entry so each should have a separate comment. It must include the link where it can be found to count.

I will be deleting comments that do not follow the rules so others get a fair chance.

You enter the iLASIK Video Contest by submitting a video. The video must fit into one of these three categories...

• “My contacts are getting in the way of my good time”
• “My favorite sport or activity would be so much cooler with better vision”
• “You should see life after the iLASIK® Procedure”

$5,000 will be won by one grand prize winner. One video per category will win a first place prize which is an HDTV package worth $2,500. One video per category will win the second place prize, a Flip UltraHD™ camcorder worth $199.99.

So what are you waiting for? All you need to do is create a video and submit it to one of the categories. Once you submit a video tell all of your friends so they can vote for you. Votes will be one of the key factors when the winners are chosen.

I have thought about getting iLasik for awhile and just keep getting too busy. I do not want to put it off too much longer though. I have many family members and friends tell me that they wish they would have had it sooner.

As I sit here with plenty to do but no ambition to do any of it, I find myself completely and utterly bored out of my mind. I am so bored that I am finding myself wondering why people even say the phrase, completely and utterly. That is like saying completely and completely. How stupid is that?

You have no clue how many times I sit here staring at my computer daydreaming because I am bored and do not want to do any work. It happens every few days. I guess I just need a break from all of the craziness.

So what do I do when this happens? I go site seeing of course. I have a huge folder in my bookmarks that is named To Do List. That means I want to look at the sites when I have more time.

I can not believe how huge the list of sites in this folder is. I do not know how people can be part of so many groups. I do not even have time for everything I already do. I just add more and more links to my list for later.

I guess they do not sit just staring at their computers bored as much as I do. I do not have enough time to do anything productive but I feel like I should do something. I guess it is more burnt out than it is bored.

Bingo has come a long way over the years. The game is said to have originated back in 1530 in Italy. It was a lottery named "Lo Giuoco del Lotto D'Italia". It is still played there every Saturday. From there it traveled to France in the late 1770s. It was named "Le Lotto" and was played only by wealthy men. Germans played a version of it in the 1800s. There it was a game for children that helped them learn math, spelling and history.

The game finally reached North America in 1929 and was called "Beano" since the players used beans as markers. (Now Beano has a completely different meaning!) A Catholic priest from Pennsylvania then decided that it would be a great way to raise money for the church.

So where is the future of bingo headed? The future is already here and it is online. Everything else is online so why not bingo? Places like Foxy Bingo already have bingo games running all afternoon and night. You still win cash and get to chat with others but it is all from the comfort of home. This makes it perfect for Housewives and Stay at Home Moms.

This new way to play bingo has the advantage of being able to offer it's players more. You no longer have to wait days to play. You can play any day. There is bingo radio, an online community, and even shopping. The new Foxy Street launches a new program where you can even get bingo points just for shopping. In addition they also offer a free bingo bonus when you sign up or add funds.

Online bingo helps people that do not always have the time to get out and play bingo. They can still have fun playing bingo and meet other people. Don't forget that you still get to play for money. After all isn't that why people love bingo in the first place?

Do you remember that Twilight Zone episode when a woman goes in for surgery because she was horribly ugly? In the end you find out that she was actually a beautiful woman but the rest of the world had pig faces. So will the Swine Flu keep mutating and end up mutating us? Did Twilight Zone correctly predict the future?

Okay, in all seriousness though...People are going way too crazy about this. We have had a few cases in our town and we are all fine. People got sick, they got better, and it did not spread to the whole town and kill us all. We are a tiny close knit place of only 2000 people. It could have spread as fast as the gossip does, but it did not.

Every time someone coughs or blows their nose someone says, "It could be swine flu". I know someone that just mentioned that one of her friends had the Swine Flu and her work forced her to go home. Egypt even ordered the slaughter of all pigs back in April. That is an estimated 300,000 pigs even though there were no reported cases of Swine Flu.

One of the teachers at my kid's school added rolls of tape and index cards to the school supply list. When school started she told all of the kids to bring them home or give them to other teachers. She no longer wanted them because "they could spread swine flu".

Ummm... HELLO, the kids being physically in the room touching desks, books, and papers is a greater risk.

It just all seems so overboard to me.

Neona's birthday is coming up on the 22nd. Gasp, My baby will be 10. I really am getting old! Finding gifts for girls gets harder the older my girls get. They already have EVERYTHING. The only things they want are more of what they already have. Which means more clutter for me.

The girls' birthdays are all late in the year so we have to also consider what we might plan on buying as Christmas Gifts for them before we get their birthday gifts.

I love buying gifts for other people. I love searching for the perfect gift that they will adore when they open it. I guess that is why my kids already have everything and buying gifts for them is so hard now.

I love this time of year. Everywhere you look places are bringing out their seasonal Pumpkin flavors. I go nuts for everything pumpkin. Starbucks has their Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Spice Frappucino already. Culvers has already started having it's pumpkin frozen custard flavors and a pumpkin shake too. Of course this means that we had to make a few stops while on our road trip Saturday afternoon. It was a very yummy trip!

James knows of my love for all things pumpkin so he helps me stock up on somethings for when they are no longer available. The things that last the longest without going bad are pumpkin tea bags, pumpkin powdered creamer, and pumpkin oatmeal. Neona and I were soooo excited last winter when Quaker Instant Oatmeal came out with pumpkin spice and cinnamon pecan flavors. We mixed them together of course!

I wonder what companies will have pumpkin flavors this year. I can not wait to try them all.

As we get further into the school year some students are already starting to need math help. Teachers do an incredible job but there is not always time to spend one on one with each student. Some students need extra help and free math help is not always available. Student athletes can not afford to have their grades drop. A drop in grades can cause a drop from the team.

I recently can across a video clip from the Today Show that showed an innovative company that has online math tutoring. TutorVista has an online math tutor available for school age through college students 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Can you imagine how much it would cost to have a tutor ready and willing the second your child can not figure out their homework? This company charges $99.99 a month and you can use their service as often as you like. Plus you no longer have to try to figure out how to get the kids to practices and drive them to a tutor.

If anyone has a child that needs online math help and is interested in checking out the company you can also get one time free online math tutoring by taking advantage of their free demo. I have also included the Today Show video clip about them.

The winners of the 24"x24" Wall Graphic have been chosen!!!
A special thank you goes to our sponsor Large Format Posters.

and the winners are...

Katherine & Nicole

Congratulations ladies!

Everyday I am more shocked at how many places are getting ready for the holidays. I was surprised when the grocery store had Halloween candy already last week. I was even more surprised when I started to see how many websites are already set up for the holidays. I guess with the economy being as it is, getting a head start makes sense.

Sites like Offers.com can help with Coupon Codes, discounts, deals, free trials and other special promotional offers. You can get some early shopping done without having to take the time to search for deals on your own.

This year the holidays may be a very hard time for many families but getting a little at a time from early on can help. A little bit each month will be easier to manage than hundreds of dollars in gifts at once.

If you start looking now you also have the advantage of buying things when they are on sale instead of paying full price at the last minute. Just a little time spent watching for sales and discounts can save you hundreds of dollars by the time the holidays come around.

So remember to keep your eyes open for sales and buy your gifts early.

The winners for the 500 free premium business cards, sponsored by UPrinting, have been chosen!

Congratulations go to...

Clueless Mama & Lenox Knits

You will both be receiving an email with instructions on how to claim your prize very soon!

*You can still enter to win the 24"x24" Wall Graphic.

Financial advisers have told us for years to make sure that we have enough in our savings to get by for 6 to 8 months. That way if we were out of work or became ill we could get by. Economic changes have brought on changes in advice too.

Suze Orman has even changed a previous stance because of the failing economy. She now states that not all people should be paying everything possible to eliminate debt. She now believes that it is more important to make sure that you build up your savings. She goes as far as stating that if you do not have enough savings and can not pay your credit card bills in full then you should just pay the minimum and put the rest of your money in savings.

Many financial advisers have made the same statements. Many think this new stance is brought on because of the recent fear that in the coming months credit card companies will be drastically lowering people's credit limits. This means that in an emergency your only means could be your own savings.

For many people today this is already a reality. Emergencies happen and their savings is already gone. Emergency loans are being taken out more often then ever. If done responsibly Elastic is a great emergency loan source for avoiding bounced checks and covering unexpected expenses like auto/home repairs or health emergencies. You need to be sure that you will be able to pay them back on time though. You do not want to just add to your debt.

I have been so busy that I have not shown any pictures of the camping trip James and his dad took the girls on. To my surprise the girls loved every bit of it. They went to a small campground that no one really hears about. That was a big plus for them.

We have a really hard time finding places to camp since everything we do is last minute. We can not plan too much in advance since James runs 9 or 10 stores in Chicago. All of our trips are planned about a week in advance. If everything is going smoothly and all of his store managers are working we quick go somewhere before the next problem happens.

I am glad that they found this place. It does not take reservations so you can just show up at that day. The site they got was perfect! I really want to go there with them soon. The site was huge, full of grass, and right on the water so they could fish anytime. Oh yeah, They also had their very own port-a-potty. The girls called to tell me that as soon as they got there.

Summer is really coming to an end. Many people bought pools over the summer and now is the time to start getting everything ready for the off season. Do you have everything you need to get ready for winter? Have you looked into Safety Pool Covers yet?

I really miss Arizona right about now. These are the best days for swimming there. The weather is perfect. In Arizona you can swim most of the year and there are pools everywhere you go. For this reason they also have better laws to protect children. In Arizona all pools must be fully fenced in and lock up. When drowning is the second leading cause of death for children you need to take action.

No matter where you live you need to make sure that your kids are safe from drowning. Drowning is usually preventable. This year as you get your pool ready for winter please take the time to make sure your pool is also safe.

Keep ladders and anything able to be climbed on away from above ground pools. Make sure that your pool has a Safety Pool Cover. They can prevent kids from falling in and drowning. Even if you empty your pool there is still a risk of kids falling in and hurting themselves. Water can still collect over time too. Drowning can happen in even the smallest amount of water if a child gets injured and can't get up. Regular pool covers do not keep kids out only safety pool covers do.

As summer is ending so is our garden. All that is left and still producing anything are the tomatoes, peppers, and the pumpkins which are just starting. I just let everything get overgrown since they were done producing anything. James ran through the plants that were done with the lawn mower on Sunday. I was very sad to see it go. I guess summer really is coming to an end.



I was just going through the pictures from when James and his dad took the girls camping and found some neat pictures taken around the garden. The first picture is the view looking left from the garage. The second picture is looking over the corn and back up to the sunflowers and the garage. The last photo is looking back towards the house and garage. You can really see how much I just let the garden get overgrown before James mowed it.

All of the back to school shopping is over. Books have been bought. Dorms have been moved into. Classes have started. Mother's have even stopped clutching a box of tissue for dear life because their child went away to college. There are still tears shed here and there but life must go on. As life goes on, the bills keep coming. With families already suffering from a bad economy the school year will hit even harder this year.

Many families are in over their heads so paying for the added expenses may become unmanageable. How can you find more money when there already isn't enough ?
Debt consolidation can be very helpful when families are struggling to pay off bills and do not know where to turn. Consolidated Credit, a debt consolidation company, specializes in debt management, credit counseling and they help with credit card debt. Consolidated Credit even has a nice College Debt Guide.

Many people seek out temporary fixes like pay day loans or auto title loans but that can be very bad in the long run. These just add on more bills and charge a very large interest rate. When you already have too many bills why add on another one?

Sending your kids off to college is hard enough. You do not want it to also cause you to go bankrupt.

Somewhere around a week ago I got an email from Twitter telling me that Kidorable was now following my tweets. I always check out who the people are and if they are not freaks I follow them back. This time it really paid off and I got a free umbrella!

When I looked at their site after checking out their Twitter page I found that they sell really cute kids stuff. I of course followed them back. Soon after I followed them I got a message from them saying that they were giving me a free umbrella just for following them on Twitter. That was a great surprise! Usually all I find is that people unfollow you after they see you followed them back. I do not know if they are still doing this promotion but it might be worth following them on Twitter just to check.

The umbrella was not completely free. I did have to pay $7.95 for shipping and handling. In the end though, I did get a very cute and sturdy umbrella for just under $8. The girls are really excited and will be anxiously awaiting rain now.



These are some of the other cute umbrellas that Kidorable sells. My girls had a hard time choosing since there are so many cute ones. They even have full rain gear to match each umbrella!

The world today can be a very scary place. Fear is waiting around every corner to get into your head. Fear can take over your life so that you can not even think straight any more. Yoda said it best when he said... “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

How is fear stealing your life today? Are you afraid of the bad economy and how it effects your life? Are you afraid that your current relationship will not last or that you will not find true love? Are you afraid that something bad will happen to your children? Fear is all around us and it can cripple us if we let it.

Many people are turning to religion to ease their fears. Faith is giving many families peace in a world of fear. As a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger I got a pre-release copy of a great book. Fearless by Max Lucado has such a positive message. I would definitely recommend this book. Everyone could use a positive message these days. The book cover says it all, "Imagine your life without fear".

As more families are dealing with money problems, the joyous event of having a baby may become much scarier. Just the baby formula alone can be a large expense. WIC has helped women and children for years and now in these tough times they have stepped up and changed their program.

We have known for years that breastfeeding is the best nutritional option. It helps boost the infants immune system. It is always ready and at the right temperature. Best of all it is free!

WIC is revamping their old program to promote healthier eating and encourage breastfeeding. The new programs require lower fat dairy and add in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

The new WIC has three programs. One for women that breastfeed full time, one for women that breastfeed part time, and one for those that never breastfeed. The more you breastfeed the more healthy food you get. The old program you either got baby formula or you did not.

Women often find they need more baby formula than WIC provides and that is where store brands come in. Store brands still have to meet the same FDA nutritional requirements but you can save a lot of money. I love this baby formula calculator it shows you just how much you can save by choosing a store brand baby formula.

What a week! I have been behind all week long. School starting this week has me pulled in a thousand different directions. I know it will get better but for right now we are not dealing with the transition very well. Why can't it be summer for just a little longer?

I have an inbox full of writing jobs that I keep trying to get done. My housework is getting very neglected since the kids were the ones doing most of it all summer. I have barely had time to get into the garden.

Okay, I am done whining. The main point is... TGIF!

Thank goodness it is a holiday weekend so the kids do not go back to school until Tuesday. I need sometime to have some fun.

Just in time for Back to School, our sponsor The Scholastic Store is having a spectacular Labor Day sale. How does up to 75% off and Free Shipping on orders over $39 sound? As school starts so do the reading assignments. My kids are always working on new books for book reports, reading minutes, and battle of the books. This Labor Day sale will really help out. This sale is good until Sept 21st.

More decisions to be made...As the economy gets worse it seems like everyone is trying to lock you into a contract. We are already stuck with T-Mobile even though we rarely get a signal in our new town. Of course they will let us out of our contract for $600.

Now we were offered a contract by our cable company. If we sign a contract with them for 2 years they will upgrade our cable, internet, and phone package to include faster internet and all of the movie channels for $179.97 a month.

That is about what we are paying now but we will still have to pay the extra stuff for extra boxes, their modem fee, and all of the other crap. I really do not know if I want to get locked into another contract. Especially by a company that just raised my bill by $60 a month since the one deal ended.

We have thought about Direct TV for awhile but never made a decision. We have moved so often because of work that we can not get the great deals DirectTV always gives. We almost got it a few months ago until they said that since we move so often we would have to buy all of the boxes and the dish.

We have still talked about getting DirecTV though. There are still a lot of pluses in switching. We just have not made a final decision. I guess I better stop procrastinating and check it all out. We have to decide if we want the deal from the cable company soon.

This new giveaway brings our total to 4 giveaways running right now. Make sure that you have entered all of our current giveaways... This giveaway will give 2 lucky winners the newest product from Large Format Posters. I will also receive one so I have some thinking to do. I am excited about this one and I have so many ideas. Good thing I have a little time to think about it more.

Have you heard of Fat Heads Stickers? They make sports figures and cartoon characters that you can stick to your wall. Now Large Format Posters has added Wall Graphics to their product line. You can take photos, artwork or patterns and have them printed in great detail onto a huge sticker that you can peel and stick on any flat surface.

You can use a business graphic if you have your own business. You can use your favorite photo of your children. How about your favorite art or photography?

Two lucky winners will be chosen on September 14th to receive a 24"x24" Wall Graphic.
**Winners must pay $5 Handling Fee to claim prize, shipping is free.
Only open to US residents.

HOW CAN YOU ENTER?

Your main entry will be to comment on this post about what you would like to turn into a wall graphic.

EXTRA ENTRIES

• Blog about the giveaway and include a link back to this post. Make a new comment here with the URL to your post.
• Follow this blog - It is on the left sidebar. If you are already a follower it still counts. Make a new comment here that includes your follower name.
• Subscribe to the RSS Feed (left side bar) and make a new comment.
• Add the Your Fun Family Blog to your blogroll. Make a new comment and be sure to use your URL when you post it.
• Fav the Your Fun Family Blog on Technorati and make a new comment.
• Follow us on Twitter and make a new comment.
• Share this giveaway post on Kirtsy, Digg, Twitter, Stumble, or anything else you can think of.
  

Each one counts for one entry so each should have a separate comment. It must include the link where it can be found to count.

I will be deleting comments that do not follow the rules so others get a fair chance. Remember that two winners will be chosen so the odds are better. If the second random comment chosen is of the same person as the first another number will be chosen. The winners will have 48 hours to email me with their mailing address. If they fail to contact me a new winner will be chosen.