Have you heard of Andy Alligator's water park?

Financial compensation was not received for this post. A sample product was/will be gifted from America's Family Network on behalf of Andy Alligator's to facilitate the post and follow up review . All opinions expressed here are my own.
 

There are lots of ways to keep cool this summer and I am excited to share some information with you about ways to have some water-filled fun this summer, with the temperatures expected to soar over 100 degrees very soon, at least here in Oklahoma!

ABCmouse.com winner revealed

Congrats to Shantelle S. (confirmed winner) who won the giveaway and to everyone who participated.  Stay tuned because there are more giveaways on the horizon!  Have a great week y'all! And thanks again to ABCmouse.com for sponsoring the giveaway.

If you were not a winner, make sure to check their website for any new or upcoming discounts. 

Five Minute Friday- VIEW

This is a post that I am linking up at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog.  She started something called 5 minute Friday, that I learned of through a blogger buddy, Lauren at The Thinking closet.  Essentially, you write for 5 minutes unedited and with out critiquing yourself as you go along.  I decided that I missed doing writing drills like this and decided to try this out today.  If you are interested in doing the same, give it a try and then link up over there as well.  It may bring out the hidden or dormant writer with in you!  So the topic was one word- VIEW.  So here is my 5 minutes on the word VIEW!

Praying for Oklahoma

The Blog Graveyard- where blogs go when they die

OK, so I try to keep things upbeat most of the time.  

This is not the beginning of a series of depressing posts by any means.  I am just curious about some of the blogs I follow and I wonder about their longevity.  I don't want them to go away 'cause I enjoy reading them but I have come across many that have folded up and closed shop recently.  Also, I have come across many that croaked months before but their pins or posts or presence is still online with good content, making me wonder- "Where are they now?"

DIY Pretty Boxes -cheap

 This was a super easy and super fun post and I will tell you why.  

I have lots of boxes around the house.   Lots of boxes- mostly diaper boxes.  I used to have a huge collection because I used the boxes  as covers for photo albums that I made but I threw them away to clear up space and soon regretted it.  But since I buy diapers and wipes etc for the kids, I decided to start saving a few boxes here and there.  Good idea because I am one of those people that believes that everything has its place.  

So if I have more than 1 cord or more than 1 of anything, I consider it lonely and think it is best to group it with another buddy and put it in a box or bag or something.   That way when you are looking for it, it is easier to find... 

In come my boxes! 

A mother in love with ABCmouse.com

*Financial compensation was not received for this post. A sample product was gifted from ABCmouse.com so I could share my opinions with you. Opinions expressed here are my own and boy am I excited to share!*

I am actually very excited to share ABCmouse.com with you as a teacher and as a mother who gets joy from seeing her children learn and have fun while doing it! So here is the story:

Spring time hair clips/brooch

I love to wear my hair up year-round, especially in the summer when it gets really hot in the OKC (Go Thunder)!

So I decided to make some cute spring/summer hair clips that were a little girly-er than I would normally wear.  My daughter loves all things girly and my husband and I are blown away by it since I was such a tomboy.  She wore a clip and thought she was the cats meow for a few minutes!  

In times of trouble

Psalm 37:1-10

Happy Friday Videos

I don't think it matters how many times I see these videos on parenting, I still laugh a little more each time.  If you have not seen them, they will put a smile on your Friday face for sure!  Happy Weekend everyone!

My Fridays are like Jazz and my Saturdays like Donna Reed

As I write this, I am listening to Dave Brubeck play the piano with his jazz quartet and having my kids paw all over me as the ask for more "Friday Night Goodies" on our "Friday Party Day".

This was not my first Rodeo

Well, technically, it was my first rodeo.  I grew up in Tulsa, OK and you would think that I had been to many a rodeo but if memory serves me correctly, I have been to a high school dance club called "The Rodeo," with dancing girls and guys in boots and jeans and doing the 2 step, but not a place with real cowboys and cowgirls and dirt and hay and horses-and danger!

Lady doing tricks while rodeoing 2 horses barefoot, barrel guy to distract bull- different than the rodeo clown, All the pretty company horses

My husband's job was one of the sponsors and he generously was given tickets a week before the rodeo.  Normally I think he would have given them to his parents but since having  kids, outings like these are more exciting and we are a bit more adventurous, hoping to see how the kids will respond to all the sites and sounds.

Little buddy patting the police officer's horse!  Better than the zoo

Sundays in my City

I am a total kid at heart

I love all things that kids love because it brings back great memories of playing around outside  and being creative as a kid.  I also love things that I think will make my kids swoon with joy.  I enjoy their giggles as they experience something new and fun and exciting!  In fact at church on Sunday, I checked in with the kiddy daycare just  to see how many kids were there and to see how it looked and I saw a bounce house being aired up out of the corner of my eye and I promise, I startled the door attendant as I screamed out, "oh my gosh, a bounce house, no way.  Honey come look at this!"

All to herself

Kid / Parent Bedtime Journal...Have you made one yet?

My kids, as you guys already know are old enough to draw and paint with assistance, but not old enough to write legibly.  I am not wishing their lives away, I am glad to wait until this new stage hits.  In the meantime, I am planning to make some journals with them that we can all use together one day.

I was at a home school conference a few years back and one of the speakers was a woman who is on staff at a local church here- Life Church- where the You Version Bible app came from.

I have been to the church and it is great, but not my home church.  However, one of the ladies held a seminar at the home school convention where she said she uses journals with her kids to communicate.  She said that often when they get older, they may stop sharing as much as they used to due to feeling like parents might yell or judge them etc.  She started with her son and daughter if I am not mistaken, and it was a hit.

Mom, Woman of Faith 3-23

This week, I have been asked to reflect on a question of my choosing  for the Mom, Woman of Faith series through Nancy, at her blog, Do small things with love. I immediately chose this one as it resonated with me so strongly.

How has God worked on your heart and changed you since you became a mother? 

Here is my response and some of the other ladies who bravely decided to respond as well!

How has blogging changed my life you ask?

This  week I am linking up with  Sugar Bee Crafts , trying to explain  How Blogging has changed my life.  This is a fun post to write and probably right on time.  Where do I start?  Well, when I was five years old, and trying to figure life out, just kidding.  I will fast forward a bit for sake of time.  I think I wanted to start a blog a couple of years ago, but just could not sit down long enough to think of a title.  Finally in late December 2012, I sat down and came up with the title and a first post!  Although I have been blogging for less than 4 months, I have learned a lot and grown in a bunch of ways and I wanted to share them with you.

Spring- here I come!

This Springtime Glog I made was super fun and I had a blast making it.  There was although a point when I accidentally made the whole Glog into this picture of my daughter, when I meant it to be much smaller.  I went with it though and liked the way it turned out, (especially since I couldn't undo it).

I  want to make a few more with some fun scripture that I want to memorize or a cool chart that teaches the kids to clean up their toys after a full day of play.

My husband makes me look bad in front of the kids

My husband is a nice guy, real nice. He does however, show me up all the time.  He comes from a family of competitors and sports spectators and these things run through his veins. He will tell you it's not true but this is my blog and my speculations.

A collaboration of our great toy making powers

Mirror Makeover with wreath

I have been wanting to make a cute wreath for my bedroom for a while but did not know where I would hang it.  I also found a horribly decorated mirror with 2 million seashells plastered down all over it.

DIY disaster