Aloha Friday!

Greetings friends! It's been a big week here. Daddy finally returned after a three week deployment and an unexpected surgery aboard ship. We're so happy he's home! We've also had a bit of late summer. It was 89 here on Wednesday and 82 yesterday. Today's high will be 62. What a change! I'm glad Fall has made it's return in time for Halloween so that all those kiddies won't be sweating in their costumes as they trapse around collecting goodies.

So, what's my simple question for the week? What is your favorite candy?

My all time favorite is some good English toffee. My favorite commercial candy is Skor candy bars, but real English toffee can't be beat. What about you? What's your favorite candy indulgence?

Be sure to stop by An Island Life for more Aloha Friday fun. And don't forget to enter my Intelligender Prize Pack Giveaway for Expectant Moms! It's a great prize for any pregnant mom or gift for a friend or relative who's expecting.

Wordless Wednesday

DS1, who's 8 (going on 18), says he's not trick-or-treating this year. He's "too old for that" he says. He'd rather dress up and hide in the bushes to scare the bejesus out of all the kids who come by. Hmmm, he might change his mind on Halloween night. I hope!

Nice costume, eh? We'll also have Cinderalla, a firefighter and a pumpkin in our crew this year. What about you? Costumes? Trick-or-treating? Parties? What's on your agenda for the big night?

For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
Wordless Wednesday HQ

And don't miss my baby mama giveaway! 

Someone's Got The Sillies

Hey Mom - How About Making the Halloween Costumes This Year? - A Guest Post By Lynn Banis

Are you looking to save some money this Halloween? Halloween costumes are expensive and usually cheaply made. Many Mom's think they are a waste of money but are afraid to make them because they don't really know how to sew. No Problem! There are lots of costumes you and your kids can make with stuff you already have at home. Creating your own is a big money saver and kids can join you in making them. I will give you a few ideas to get you started and I bet once you get going you will think of a lot more you could do on your own.

Let's start with plain colored footed pajamas. With pink you can make a pig or a bunny. With yellow you could make a duckling.You get the idea. Just cut ears out of construction paper. Create a tail with pipestem cleaners and some cotton or feathers. You could but a pig or bunny nose. A beak could be made from a cardboard cone. Once you have all of these supplies together begin drawing, cutting, coloring and assembling. You will have a pig, bunny and/or duckling in no time!

How about raincoats and boots? Yellow ones are great starters for fireman costumes or they could be paired with yellow boots and an umbrella decorated with stuffed dogs and cats (it's raining cats and dogs) or flowers (spring showers bring May flowers). What else can you think to do with an umbrella? How about Mary Poppins?

Next we could consider cargo pants or shorts. How about a tourist, someone on safari or a hiker? The tourist might need a bright shirt, sunglasses, sandals and a camera. The hiker and safari costume could use a multi-pocket vest, hiking boots, sunglasses, a hat, binoculars and anything else you can think of to round out the costume.

I saw a kid last year dressed up like a scuba diver. His mom made the scuba tanks out of water bottles with straps to hang them on his back. She put him in his bathing suit and a tee shirt and topped the outfit off with a mask, snorkel and underwater camera. He was adorable!

Then there are a few with simple sewing that are cute. You can make an apple or strawberry (Strawberry Shortcake is big now) out of two pieces of red cloth cut in a circle big enough to go from your child's shoulders to her knees. Sew the two pieces of cloth together leaving holes for head, arms and legs. When your child is in the costume fill it with crumpled up paper to give it a round shape. All you have to do is create or buy a little hat that looks like the apple or strawberry stem.

So there you go - lots of costumes for very little money. Create your own or do one of the ideas here and have fun making them with your kids.

Lynn Banis PhD, MCC is known as America's High Performance Coach. Lynn specializes in helping women in leadership positions or wanting to be in leadership positions make the most of their opportunities and potential. She enjoys helping executives and entrepreneurs create their ultimate impact. Her years of working with small and large businesses has given her a depth of knowledge that is invaluable to her clients both as a business and a life coach.

Lynn is the autor of two books "The Discovery Journal" and "Discovery Points: A Coaching Guide to Getting Unstuck." Both can be obtained under Lynn's name at http://www.lulu.com. You can reach her at http://www.discoverypointcoaching.com. Also check out Lynn's other businesses: Coach Academy Texas, a cutting edge coach training company; and Turnkey Coaching Solutions, a coaching program management and contract coach staffing company.



Read more posts from the Hey Mom Series here, here and here, or click on the "Parenting" tab under Labels in my side bar. Moms work hard and deserve encouragement! Please share this post with other Moms you know.

Quotable Sunday - Halloween

As spirits roam the neighborhoods at night,
Let loose upon the Earth till it be light...
~Nicholas Gordon, poemsforfree.com

Pixie, kobold, elf, and sprite,
All are on their rounds tonight;
In the wan moon's silver ray,
Thrives their helter-skelter play.
~Joel Benton

Halloween wraps fear in innocence,
As though it were a slightly sour sweet.
Let terror, then, be turned into a treat...
~Nicholas Gordon, poemsforfree.com

Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night. ~Steve Almond

At first cock-crow the ghosts must go
Back to their quiet graves below.
~Theodosia Garrison

'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world.
~William Shakespeare

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.
~Author Unknown

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!"
~Dexter Kozen

For More Quotable Fun visit LT at A Day With Two.

Friendly Friday Follow

Time to make some new friends! This week I'm joining in on Friendly Friday Follow. I love making new bloggy friends and there's no time like the present :)

If you are new here, I hope you'll take a look around. I blog about parenting and homeschooling my 4 crazy kiddos. I am a stay at home mom and military wife. We've been homeschooling for over 3 years and my kids are 8, 5, 3 and 2 months old. We also have a loveable great dane puppus who joins in our daily antics. I post about our projects and field trips, homeschooling resources, recipes I love, product reviews and parenting tips.

I look forward to visiting your blogs and getting to know you. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great Friday!

Friendly Friday Follow is a link-up meme which is hosted every Friday. The plan is to meet many new followers and make new friends each week.
The RULES to join in Friendly Friday Follow are very simple
Grab the button above
Add your link to the list
Visit as many other blogs as you can
Follow the ones you like (and comment on their blog to say that you are following)
…and HAVE FUN!

Aloha Friday!

Happy Friday to all! In the spirit of Aloha Friday, I'll keep this short and sweet, and super easy :)

What is the best gift that someone could give you today?

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you have a great weekend, and enjoy some Fall fun. I'm loving the gorgeous changes in the leaves!

Be sure to stop by An Island Life for more Aloha Friday fun.

FREE 20 Page Hardcover Photobook From Picaboo!

If you missed this offer before, don't waste any time snagging it now! For a limited time Picaboo is bringing back it's best offer for new customers. Get a Free 20-Page Large Hardcover Book! But you'll have to hurry. Offer ends soon.

Details are as follows:
The cost of one 20-page Large Classic, Classic Leather, or Classic Custom photo book (up to $39.99) will be deducted from your order total. If your book contains more than 20 pages, you will be charged for the additional pages.
Additional books, taxes/international surcharges, and shipping costs are excluded.
Coupon expires at 11:59 PM (PT) on October 25, 2010.
Cannot be used with any other coupon
This coupon is for first-time customer purchases made in Picaboo X only.
We reserve the right to change the terms and conditions of this offer without notice.

We Love Books!

Nothing warms my heart like seeing a child with a good book. My favorite local library book sale starts this weekend. I'm so excited! We've built our (huge) children's home library through sales like this and I look forward to them every year. Be sure to check out sales at your local library for great deals on books for all ages! You can usually find information on your library's webpage or search "Friends of the Library" and the name of your city.

Wordless Wednesday

2 Months Old

Sweet, personified.

For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
Wordless Wednesday HQ

Hey Mom – Are Your Kids Learning to Be Good Communicators? - A Guest Post by Lynn Banis

Do you ever wonder about what all of the solo video games, text messaging and computer based pass-times are doing to our children's communication skills? I do and I bet you do too. I am not saying that we should ban such things - we couldn't even if we wanted to. They are too much a part of our society and of our kids' expectations and experience for us to do that. We do run the risk though, of having generations of children who have not learned to carry on a deep, articulate and comprehensive dialogue with another individual or group of people. That concerns me.

It is not only the lack of communication skills that has me worried and wondering, it is the result of that lack that is scary. If we cannot and do not communicate that can lead to isolation and loneliness - not a very bright picture for the future. We live in a global economy and need to be building a global community and that will mean that we need excellent communication skills to bring together the vast array of beliefs and customs of the world's cultures.

Another, very important, loss could be that we do not uncover and encourage the individual gifts that each person brings to their life and the lives of others. What a loss that would be to humanity and to our children! Imagine living in a world of loneliness, isolation and where you did not feel you had anything to give!

What can you as a parent do to help your children grow in their communication skills? Hopefully you are already aware of and involved in what they are learning in school. If your child's school is not demanding enough of children's growth as communicators you and other parents can address that. There are also some things you can do at home to enhance your kid's communication abilities. Use dinner time to engage the whole family in dialogue and deep conversation. Teach your kids to participate and to ask thoughtful questions. Help them learn to really listen and engage others in meaningful discussions. Include their friends in conversation when they are at your house and provide games and activities that will require them to talk with each other, to use their imaginations and to create things together. Help them improve their oral problem solving abilities with cool toys like legos and the like.

I would love to hear your take on this issue. Please leave a comment of observation - it would be fun to push this conversation forward.

Lynn Banis PhD, MCC is known as America's High Performance Coach. Lynn specializes in helping women in leadership positions or wanting to be in leadership positions make the most of their opportunities and potential. She enjoys helping executives and entrepreneurs create their ultimate impact. Her years of working with small and large businesses has given her a depth of knowledge that is invaluable to her clients both as a business and a life coach.

Lynn is the autor of two books "The Discovery Journal" and "Discovery Points: A Coaching Guide to Getting Unstuck." Both can be obtained under Lynn's name at http://www.lulu.com. You can reach her at http://www.discoverypointcoaching.com. Also check out Lynn's other businesses: Coach Academy Texas, a cutting edge coach training company; and Turnkey Coaching Solutions, a coaching program management and contract coach staffing company.

Read more posts from the Hey Mom Series here, here and here, or click on the "Parenting" tab under Labels in my side bar. Moms work hard and deserve encouragement! Please share this post with other Moms you know.

Quotable Sunday - Luck

Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered.  ~William Shakespeare

Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.  ~R.E. Shay

Luck is the by-product of busting your fanny.  ~Don Sutton

Everything in life is luck.  ~Donald Trump

Name the greatest of all inventors.  Accident.  ~Mark Twain

Luck never gives; it only lends.  ~Swedish Proverb

Luck:  when your burst of energy doesn't run afoul of someone else's.  ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

Go and wake up your luck.  Persian Saying

Those who have succeeded at anything and don't mention luck are kidding themselves.  ~Larry King

Luck is what you have left over after you give 100 percent.  ~Langston Coleman

It's hard to detect good luck - it looks so much like something you've earned.  ~Frank A. Clark

Luck never made a man wise.  ~Seneca, Letters to Lucilius

Luck is when opportunity knocks and you answer.  ~Author Unknown

I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.  ~Thomas Jefferson


For More Quotable Fun visit LT at A Day With Two.

Aloha Friday

Greetings all,

Happy Friday to you! I hope you've had a great week. It's been a busy one here. Lots going on with the kiddos and not much time for blogging ;(

Today my big, strong hubbie is having surgery to repair a hernia in his abdomen. It's an issue that came up quickly and was scheduled right away. That got me thinking about how we often take our health for granted.  Most of us have had some health issues of one kind or another throughout the years. I am grateful that I have been fortunate enough to avoid surgery so far.  What about you?

Have you ever had surgery?


Be sure to stop by An Island Life for more Aloha Friday fun! And don't forget to enter my giveaway for Joy Berry's Halloween Safety Kit - it's got lots of fun stuff for kiddos!!

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
Wordless Wednesday HQ

Quotes on Fall

Photographer: Ian Britton

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. ~Edwin Way Teale

It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life. ~P.D. James

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. ~Carol Bishop Hipps

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds - November!
~Thomas Hood, "No!"

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. ~Stanley Horowitz

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne

Besides the autumn poets sing,
A few prosaic days
A little this side of the snow
And that side of the haze.
~Emily Dickinson

October's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter. ~Nova Bair

Conscious Mom - A Guest Post By Lynn Banis

Hey Moms! I was thinking this morning about how I get up, put the dog out, make coffee and settle in to checking my email - all pretty unconsciously and I began to wonder how much of our lives are spent that way. How much is rote, routine and semi-unconscious? I also began to think about how effective and efficient I am being when I am in that state. It makes me wonder how much of my life - at least regarding my daily routines - are spent in a semi-conscious state. What am I missing that I could be more attuned to? How is this working for you as a mom?

I know my girls tell me all of the time that I was a great mom but I wonder just how available I was, especially when I got into that routine, semi-conscious place? One thing I know about being preoccupied or only partially present is that it costs. It costs in terms of time and impact on other people. Usually we have to spend more time and energy fixing what we missed or screwed up than if we would have paid full attention in the first place. Most of us learn that lesson the hard way and some of us never learn it at all.

So, my questions for the day is, "What difference would it make in your life and in the lives of your kids if you were consciously present more of the time?" What would you get to experience that you are now missing? What would you become more aware of and more attuned to? How would your relationship with your kids and your spouse change? How much more enjoyment would you get out of life?

I don't know the answer to all of those questions but I am going to try to be more present myself and check it out. I know that at first anyway it will seem like it takes more energy and it probably will. None of us have a whole lot of extra energy to give but in the long run I am convinced that it will save me energy and I get the distinct feeling that there will be alot more to life. It will be fun to see what I am missing.

How about you? What changes will you try to make? When do you tend to get in that semi-conscious zone? Let me know what happens and we can share our insights.

Lynn Banis PhD, MCC is known as America's High Performance Coach. Lynn specializes in helping women in leadership positions or wanting to be in leadership positions make the most of their opportunities and potential. She enjoys helping executives and entrepreneurs create their ultimate impact. Her years of working with small and large businesses has given her a depth of knowledge that is invaluable to her clients both as a business and a life coach.
Lynn is the autor of two books "The Discovery Journal" and "Discovery Points: A Coaching Guide to Getting Unstuck." Both can be obtained under Lynn's name at http://www.lulu.com. You can reach her at http://www.discoverypointcoaching.com. Also check out Lynn's other businesses: Coach Academy Texas, a cutting edge coach training company; and Turnkey Coaching Solutions, a coaching program management and contract coach staffing company.

Read more posts from the Hey Mom Series here, here and here, or click on the "Parenting" tab under Labels in my side bar. Moms work hard and deserve encouragement! Please share this post with other Moms you know.

Wordless Wednesday

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy WW to all :) Don't forget to add your linky!

For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
Wordless Wednesday HQ
>

Instant Water Park - Just Add Rain

Guess all that rain last week was good for something ;)

Hey Mom – Got The Money Blues? - A Guest Post By Lynn Banis

Many stay at home Moms worry that since they are not contributing financially to the support of the family and that they are not entitled to spend any money on themselves. Even if money is tight that is not true. First, you are part of a family and every member of the family needs and deserves to have things. Second, stop and take a look at what you are contributing to the family. If you cost it out you may be surprised at your contribution. It would take a lot of money to replace the services that you provide your family.

If you breast feed and make baby food you are saving on the cost of infant formula and commercial baby food. Besides that you are doing something that is good for the health of your child. You are also bonding with your baby and there is no price that can be put on the value of that.

You are also saving on the cost of babysitters. Add that up for each of your children. It is pretty costly to take the kids to a sitter or to day care. If you are doing your job as a mom you are giving them better care than they could get from someone else. And, again the bonding is taking place that is so crucial for healthy, balanced children. (Please don't think that working mothers don't bond with their children. Of course they do. They just don't have as much face time with their kids to do it.)

You may be saving on the cost of clothes for yourself to wear to work and for the kids to wear to day care. You don't have to get dressed up to work at home as a mom so you need less clothes. Ok, I know that might not be fun but it is the truth.

You are also probably saving on the cost of transportation if you are not traveling back and forth from work and picking the kids up. Don't forget to add the cost of gas and the cost of maintenance and wear and tear on your car to get that sum.

What else are you saving on? Write down everything you can think of and add it all up. It comes out to quite a bit of money and many moms find that it really costs them to work. Where do you come down on that scale?


Lynn Banis, PhD, MCC

The High Performance Coach

Read more posts from the Hey Mom Series here, here and here, or click on the "Parenting" tab under Labels in my side bar. Moms work hard and deserve encouragement! Please share this post with other Moms you know.

Lynn is a Master Certified Coach with years of experiences helping moms through tough situations. She would love to answer your questions on a weekly basis. What are you struggling with? What questions do you have about getting through the day? Leave her a few comments with your questions and concerns and she will be happy to write about them in future posts. To find out more about Lynn and how she can help you live your passion, visit her at: www.discoverypointcoaching.com/blog

Quotable Sunday - Blessings

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And Heaven is overflowing.
~Irish Blessing

May the holes in your net be no larger than the fish in it. ~Irish Blessing

May you have warm words on a cool evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door. ~Irish Toast

May brooks and trees and singing hills
Join in the chorus too,
And every gentle wind that blows
Send happiness to you.
~Irish Blessing

May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks
May your heart be as light as a song
May each day bring you bright
Happy hours that stay with you all the year long.
~Irish Blessing

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions. ~Joey Adams

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.
~Irish Blessing

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.
~Irish Blessing

For More Quotable Fun visit LT at A Day With Two.

Aloha Friday

Greetings friends! Happy Friday :)

My question this week is: How many blogs do you have and how many hours per week do you spend working on your blog(s)?

Be sure to stop by An Island Life for more Aloha Friday fun!