Black Friday Online Shopping Deals

If you are doing more shopping online this year, I have some deals for you for Black Friday. Some of these are deals for the holidays so check all of them even if you missed Black Friday!

Black Friday Product Deals from Overstock.com! Valid 11.22.07 to 11.25.07

Thanksgiving Weekend Sale - get an extra 20% off clearance items at BareNecessities.com. 5 days only! Sale ends 11.26.07.



eToys: FREE Shipping when you Spend $99+ on Qualifying Orders (see details, ends 11.26)




Netflix - Only $4.99 a month. No Late Fees. Try it for Free!













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The Biggest Loser Thanksgiving Tips

I am a big fan of The Biggest Loser. This season seems to be a kinder, more encouraging group, except for one, Amy, that was finally voted off. Last night on the show, they had tips on Thanksgiving. One was that it takes 3 hours of walking to burn the calories from one serving of mashed potatoes and gravy! Also, pecan pie, my favorite, is 500 calories a slice! WOW! That encouraged me to rethink how I will eat tomorrow. I am still hanging on to 6-8 pounds that I have gained since the beginning of our medical problems. No excuses, but that is truly when it started. I never thought I was an emotional eater, but I now think I am! Thanksgiving has some of my favorite foods, except the turkey which is my least favorite. But I can see how you can eat a ton of calories and never even notice!
Here are The Biggest Loser Holiday Dieting Tips for you to check out. There are some great tips to keep going over the holidays- so at the end, I still have 6-8 pounds to lose!


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Buy Nothing Day!

I am a lover of Black Friday. I love the excitement of people rushing out to buy the greatest deal ever. Last year, as people were swarming into Target to fight of the three electronic items that were available, I got in the shortest line ever... Starbucks. No one wanted coffee, they wanted the deal.

So now, in opposition to Black Friday, there is Buy Nothing Day. On November 23, people are to ban together to buy nothing. There are even some cute ideas, like cut up your credit card protest and buy nothing samples. The purpose is to stop shopping and go green. It is for people to "escape from the marketing mind games and frantic consumerism that have come to characterize modern life."

But do they go shopping on Saturday?

The other interesting thing is this coincides with the biggest shopping day in the US- Black Friday- but takes place in the UK and Canada... they don't celebrate our Thanksgiving- so is it Black Friday in other countries too? Actually, the North American date is November 23. Internationally, the date is November 24.

I am not going shopping this Friday, but I may shop. The Buy Nothing Day is a great idea, but I want to get the kiddos gifts and the deals are good.

I will consider it.
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Do You Know You Are Out of Shape?

Yesterday evening, I decided to tackle the job of cleaning out a line of shrubs that have been overrun with a crazy vine. I was clipping and pulling and was so proud of my work. I have more to do today and I realize how sore my legs and shoulders are! I am not a good exerciser, although I was doing yoga 3 times a week until I got this cold/cough. I have been sick for 3 weeks and not keeping up with my yoga. It was the little bit that I did. Then I found out my good cholesterol was low- probably because I do not exercise.

How come when we know it is good for us, we still do not do it? I am making an early resolution to get moving (like Oprah's old slogan) and get fit. Not buff and hot, I will settle for losing 10 pounds and being able to garden!

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Challenge Winner For Two Moms in A Blog

Two Moms in a Blog our hosting a 14 challenge month for a Kodak Easy Share All In One Printer.

I hosted Challenge #4.

The four entries included: Life on The Road, Cathy's Bloggin, Mommy Mandy, and Mary.
Each entry will receive one ticket for the grand prize drawing for the printer.

And my chosen winner is.....Tiffany for her creative interpretation of the categories- plus her little one, her "something sweet," is too cute!

Tiffany will win a gourmet bar of soap from Tina at Club Candles. Thanks for playing!


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Holiday Giving Idea: Give a Book

If you are thinking of a special gift for a child in your life, a great idea is to give a book. All children need books! As children get older, they can appreciate stories that include tales from around the world, like Animal Tales. Some of the stories included in this anthology are Grandmother Spider, Native American; The Rabbit in the Moon, Indian; The Dragon and the Cockerel,Chinese; The Greedy Frog, Aboriginal; The Musicians of Bremen, German; Never Trust a Pelican, Thai; The Monkey's Heart, Kenyan; Sedna and King Gull, Inuit; and Magic in the Rainforest, Brazilian. As you can see from this selection, children can learn about the different types of tales from around the world. You can also choose to purchase this book with the CD that reads the stories with colorful language and sound. This type of book is also great as a read aloud for younger readers, but a great option for older independent readers too.

To purchase this book and see other great collections of stories, visit my Barefoot Books website.




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Playing With Our Friends

Last weekend we went with friends to a festival at our local state park. The girls got to play on the playground together for the first time in a long time. It was a beautiful fall day in Florida... in the 70's! This time of year and Spring are may favorite. The weather is perfect! It is a great thing to live here, even if you have to suffer the 95 degree days for a few months. This weather lasts a lot longer!

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CityPass for NYC- A Great Holiday Gift!

If you are going to New York City or know someone that is going to NYC, the CityPass will be an invaluable holiday gift this year.

New York CityPass is an all-for-one pass that gets you into all the great attractions in NYC. Each booklet has a ticket to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the new Greek and Roman galleries, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Guggenheim Museum and the American Museum of Natural History. Plus, a trip to the top of the Empire State Building Observatory and tour of the Manhattan skyline from the water aboard a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise, along with a map, public transportation information and insider tips on the best time to visit each attraction.

It is sold at 50% off the combined admission prices for all of those attractions. And you will save time because you get to skip the main ticket lines. It is $65 for adults and $49 for children (ages 12-17).

The CityPass is also valid from December 15 until March 15, giving you three months to use all 6 tickets.

I remember looking at the CityPass on my first trip to NYC. I was going to a conference, so I was not sure what time I would have to go to the main attractions. I ended up not purchasing it and wish I had. After standing in line for tickets at the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History, I wish I had pre-purchased my pass. People that had the CityPass were walking right up to the entrance! It would have definitely been easier to have purchased it early.

If NYC is in your future or the future of a loved one, get the CityPass as a great surprise this holiday.

My Little Ones at Halloween!

This is a little delayed, but I wanted to include a picture of my sweet ones from Halloween. The little batman started out as a knight, but due to wardrobe malfunction (the helmet would not stay on), we bought the batman the night before. The little butterfly was suppose to be a lady bug and refused to wear her costume. So she got the butterfly wings. Never what we plan... but they had fun!

Challenge #4 - Wednesday Photo Game

I am posting a challenge for Two Moms In A Blog November challenge. Those great women are offering 11 more challenges during the month to earn tickets to win a FREE Kodak Easy Share All-In-One Printer. Check and book mark their site for more information on the upcoming challenges!

Thanks for playing!

Challenge #4 - Wednesday Photo Game

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Our Wednesday Challenges for November will be some type of fun photo game. For our first game, we'll do a photo scavenger hunt. To earn this ticket, you will need to find 10 items: one for each of the ten descriptions listed below. This leaves lots of room for creativity and it will be fun to see what everyone comes up with:)

Scavenger Hunt List
- something cold
- something hot
- something soft
- something hard
- something heavy
- something light
- something dark
- something bright
- something crafty
- something tasty
- something sweet
- something cool

How to Participate
In order to participate, you need to collect the ten items above and take a photo of all ten. Then, post the photo on your blog or email it to twomomsinablog@hotmail.com. Once you have submitted your photo, leave a comment on this post so we know you participated. Your photo must be posted/emailed by midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 13 in order to enter.

THE PRIZES
As with all our challenges, by completing this challenge, you will earn another ticket into the draw at the end of the month for a Kodak Easy Share All-In-One Printer. One participant in THIS challenge will also receive a gourmet bar of soap from Mia Bella donated by Tina at Club Candles. Thanks Tina!

For more open challenges to earn more tickets for our grand prize, check out our contest page.

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Thankful Tuesday's

My friend Betsy has started a series called Thankful Tuesday's on the 4fabmoms blog. What a wonderful idea to be mindful of those things we are thankful for each and every day.

Today, I would like to make a special thankful post for my husband. My husband has been going through chemotherapy for the past 6 weeks. It is not constant therapy, but is taking a toll. Along with illness each time from our preschoolers, he has not felt as well as he would like. He has been home for the past week and even though he is tired, he has been trying to keep things up around the house and help with the kids. I am thankful for the time he has at home to rest, for the things he accomplishes even though he does not feel well, and for the love he has for his family.

We know this is a short time in the span of life. We are thankful for our faith that God will get us through each and every day. We are thankful for the testimony He has given us to demonstrate our faith.

Thanks Betsy for the reminder!

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The Best Cleaning Steamer! Sanitize Without Chemicals!

Make this a Christmas gift to yourself! I bought the Shark Euro Steamer today and I cannot believe how clean my grout is! I bought this at a local hardware store because I heard how great steam cleaning is to sanitize your house without chemicals. I started just cleaning the tile. Then I noticed how the grout was coming cleaner, just going over it with the cleaner cloth. So I got down and got dirty! I scrubbed my grout with the metal scrubber brush and it turned back to the original color! Wow! I was quit warm, and gave myself a facial, but it was worth it! The 47 oz. of water kept going to clean the entire floor and to clean the majority of the kitchen grout. Now I am off again. I just could not pass up telling you about this. Buy yours today!

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Pillsbury Bake Off $1 Million

I was just watching a repeat of last year's Pillsbury Bake Off. The winner, Anna, has her own cookie blog, Cookie Madness. She posts almost daily cookie recipes with pictures. What a find!

The next bake off has the 100 finalist. All of the recipes are available on Yahoo food.

And while I was motivated by the show to think of my own recipe, I will have to wait until 2009 to enter and 2010 to be one of the finalist for the million dollar prize- start thinking of your winning recipe and join me!

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Fall in Florida Part 2

It finally stayed below 80 degrees for an entire day! We wore jeans on purpose for the first time. That also meant I discovered my two year old does not fit into the hand-me-downs from her cousin- a 4 year old- and we are out of hand me downs! She is now in a size 3T! At 2 1/2! So I happen to go to JC Penney's tonight and to my surprise, not only a sale, but an additional sale! Yeah- clothes for cheap! I love it! Getting clothes for a good price certainly makes it better to buy. Since she has now out grown the 4 year old, we are on our own- soon to be passing up I am sure.

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Win a FREE Kodak Easy Share Printer

Two Moms In A Blog are offering a November give away. Join in for your chance to win a Kodak Easy Share Printer. There are issuing 14 challenges through the month of November and for each challenge you will earn a chance to win the printer, plus other small prizes. For this blog entry, I am entered to win $20 from Barnes and Noble. Who could not use that with the holidays approaching!

So visit the mom blog and join in the fun!


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Google Page Rank

I am posting today since the much awaited Google Page Rank was released. While I do not worry about page rank, it would have been nice to see a higher number, if only so I could get better opportunities for paid posting! I have a few readers here, mostly friends and family, but I did have high hopes of better days. Maybe in the next go round!

For those that really obsessed, at least the wait is over and now we can move on!

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Contests and Blogging

If you are a mommy blogger and trying to make some money with your blog, you know the importance of traffic. Traffic is the key to earning $$$ through one free available money maker, Google Adwords.

So how do you increase traffic? One way is by hosting contests. A great site for seeing how to use contest is Contest for Moms blog. She is giving away of Comfy Easy PC in this post. By linking to her blog or posting a comment, you can be eligible to win.

If you want more tips for making money with a website or a blog, a great resource is our Work at Home Professional Series. Episode 10 is with Pajama Mommy about her ideas for getting more money from your blog. It is well worth the 30 minutes of your time to get these valuable tips and resources! I will post the link soon, but you can go to the Itunes store and do a search for Smart Moms and download it from there.

Click here to support breast cancer research by purchasing an original Breast Cancer No Excuses T-Shirt

Parent's Magazine Free Podcast

I just found this Parent's Magazine Free Podcast of the internet radio program. You can listen to it right from the site or download it from iTunes. iTunes is a free download and you do not need to have an iPod to use it. It is a great resource for organizing music and podcasts. There are MANY free podcasts on iTunes, including video Nick Jr. shows and Super Why from PBS Kids. The videos can be played right on your computer.

When you download iTunes, you will see the iTunes store on the left side bar. When it opens, go to podcasts. Click on Kids and Family. Make sure you check the Top Podcasts on the right side bar.

A great free resource!

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St. Augustine Events- Uptown Saturday Night

If you are going to visit Florida, you should visit part of our history instead of one of the large theme parks. One great place to visit is St. Augustine. If you decided to go, make sure you check out all the great events in St. Augustine, especially the upcoming Uptown Saturday Nights. On the last Saturday in October and November, October 27 and November 24, from 5:00 - 9:00 pm, the antique district along San Marco Avenue comes to life with loads of antiques, workshops on antiquing, book signings by local authors, and featured artist's works at local galleries. Close by, you can also enjoy galleries, stories, live music, food, and wine. The shops all have open house so you can enjoy the best of the district even in the evenings!

The best part, parking is free at Mission of Nobre de Dios!

St. Augustine is great to visit any time of the year, especially in the fall when the Florida weather is moderate. The history of the oldest city in the US is enough to keep you busy during the day, and the Uptown Saturday Night event is enough to keep you busy at night.

Don't miss out on these two special nights in St. Augustine! If you cannot make it this fall, other dates are available. I am going to plan my visit to St. Augustine to make sure I can go to Uptown Saturday Night!

Give Your Child Some Sidewalk Chalk

I have posted some of these pictures on my preschool blog, but they are worth mentioning again. A little sidewalk chalk and innovation, and you have an artist! Check out Julian Beever's collection of pavement art. Be sure to click on the 3-D images to really give your brain a work out!

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The Second Round of Chemo

Today begins the second round of chemo. My husband had last week without any treatments and now it is a full week of inpatient treatments. He tried to get out of the inpatient thing, but the doctor said he thought it would be best to keep the kidney good. Hopefully he will be out early Saturday since we celebrate Halloween on Saturday in our city. If not, no biggie, we will go visit the hospital in the cute costumes!

As I keep saying, this is a short time in the scope of our lives. Two more months, we are done! The healing has begun and all of this is just formalities!

Keep praying!

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Superbug- Cleaning Your Home

I am sure most moms started a large cleaning campaign this week when news of the Superbug hit home. I completely washed down my kitchen and bathrooms, to me those seemed like the most likely culprits of germs. My husband has been in the hospital recently so that makes it even scarier!

And it is not just the kitchen and the bathroom of course. Shoes are one of the worse! Think about where your shoes go- the bathroom floors, the grocery store, the hospital floor (in our house). Leaving your shoes outside may be a good option!

One of the best ways to prevent any illness or germ in your house is to wash your hands carefully, for the entire song of Happy Birthday. Don''t share towels- each have your own towel to dry your hands- germs come off when you dry and they stay there. Or use paper towels and throw them away.

When you blow your nose, throw the tissue away immediately. Don't stick it in a pocket or your purse. How many times do you wash those tissues in your jeans and make a big mess anyway!

Use alcohol based hand sanitizers. While I have heard reports this has made some germs immune to the anti-bacterial properties, alcohol kills the Superbug.

And sanitize your house- with bleach especially. I hardly ever use bleach, but that and alcohol kill the it.

For more tips, read the Clean Living Newsletter. And wash your hands!

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Smart Moms Professional Series

It has been a long busy week.

Smart Mom Kim has been working hard this week on the Smart Mom Professional Series. This is a free podcast download for moms that work at home to help them increase their skills, abilities, and to give them some good ideas to improve your business. If you are thinking about working from home, this is a good opportunity to start out on the right foot. You could not buy the experience these women have to offer. Millionaire Mommy gives some tips for becoming a millionaire young, PJ Mommy will teach you how to monetize your website, Suzanne (no Mommy name here) gives helpful tips for working ebay as your home based business.

You cannot go wrong listening to these 30 minutes episodes. Plus they are FREE!

So log on to our blog, 4fabmoms, and download your free work at home mom help.

Click here to support breast cancer research by purchasing an original Breast Cancer No Excuses T-Shirt

Advanced Academics and Some Good Websites!

With my new job, I have created a website, of course! I am working with students in the advanced academic and gifted programs in our county. I created a website for the parents and the students to have access to the teacher sites all in one place and to give information for the various field trips and programs. But I could not make a website without some great links to some great sites.
Our advanced academics program is now working with students in elementary through middle, expanding to the upper grades. There are already AP and dual enrollment programs available in the high school, but hopefully there will be some type of program as these children increase in age.

One of the best sites is the virtual frog dissection. Everyone should check that out!

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Make Money With Your Blog

I am very excited! I finally made $100 with Pay Per Post. I have been posting here and there on different advertising opportunities, making anywhere from $5 to $30 per posts. I finally past the $100 mark! It is easy to do and there is no requirement for what you post or when you post. You review the opportunities available to you and decide if you want to do it or not.

There are a view ways to make money:
1. Sign up to post. Click on the button and you can start your sign up (plus I get a commission for referring you if you post on your blog).
2. Review any of my posts on your blog. By reviewing my posts, we each get paid.
3. Sign up advertisers. If you have an need to get some links to your blog or website, this is a reasonably affordable way to do it. You can sign up and ask for people to post about you and link back to your site.

4. People can hire you to post for them. They sign up to pay what you ask. I have a pretty reasonable rate- $10 a post right now. You can get some links and some good press.


There are some limitations to signing up- age of your blog, how many posts, etc. You can sign up even if you don't meet them all and start when you are qualified.

So far, it has only been a good experience. They are fair reviewing posts and give you an opportunity to fix whatever may be wrong.

Sign up today and start making money on your blog!


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Honey Has No Hair

We shaved my husbands hair yesterday. The chemo finally kicked in and his hair started falling out on Monday. By Saturday, it was looking pretty sad. So we shaved it. He actually looks really cute! His head is pretty white from the lack of sun. He still has some fuzz, but that will be gone soon. He already bought some caps and hats to cover it, but he went bald and beautiful to church today.

Let's hope it grows back the same as it left!

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Those Terrible Two's!

I can see that my dear daughter has definitely hit those terrible two's. Although she is still lovable and cute, she is also opinionated and wants to control her own life. That is all well and good except when we are trying to get up and going in the morning. She does not want me to fix her hair, put on her clothes, or her shoes. She does not want to brush her teeth or turn off the TV. in fact, she only wants to watch Elmo Hair each and every morning! We have given her choices on the clothes and shoes, and that helps, but not always.

This morning, I wrestled her down to fix her hair (it is to her mid-back, so it is not like I can leave it!), she fussed all the way to school about a book that was on the floor, and then she goes into her classroom with a big smile and a kiss for her teacher!

At least she likes school!


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Side Zip Pants

I understand the idea behind side zip pants- they give you a smoother front view without the bulky zipper where there is already bulk. But they are almost impossible to zip after two kids and a few extra pounds without getting some skin! (It may be chest size that causes some problems too!). I think I am going to be more careful about choosing pants from now on... back zip- that is a better idea- less bulk back there!

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Ultralinking Revised

I deleted my previous post on Ultralinking and I am not listing the url. I was informed that Google can ban you if you participate... something I do not want. It really only brought me 5 hits or so anyways, so I am not concerned. I do not understand what it is, but somehow it got to my other blog so I checked it out. There are better ways to get hits!

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The Joys of the Park

Here in Florida, the park is just something you have to avoid during the summer time. Even in the evenings, the park is just too hot. But now as the weather is cooling to a wonderful 85 degrees in the evenings, the park is the perfect place to go. We have gone two nights in a row and have had a great time. Mostly, it is because they can almost both navigate all the equipment. Even my little 2 year old was scaling the disc climbing thing. I almost freaked... but I let her do it. My rule is if you can do it yourself, you are allowed to do it. So she did it... over and over and over again.
It is so much fun to enjoy the outdoors. Yes, in Florida, it is hot for most of June, all of July and August, and most of September. But the remainder of the year makes it soooooo worth it to me to tough out those hot months.

And there is always a pool, the hose, and air conditioning to get you through those tough months!

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Gifts for the Men in Your Life

If you are like me, you are always trying to find that special gift for the men in your life... your husband, father, son, grandfather, father-in-law, boyfriend, or uncle. Some of the best gifts for him would be for his garage. And that is just what Car Guy Garage.com has available. They have everything you need to choose what will be perfect for that man in your life, no matter how big of a space you are working with. They have the work benches, the cabinets, the storage shelves, the peg boards, the car lifts, and even garage flooring. They are located in Chicago, but will ship to anywhere. It certainly is worth a look if you are stumped about what to buy for an upcoming birthday, anniversary, or Christmas, check out CarGuyGarage.com before you buy them another tie or pair of socks!

Click here to support breast cancer research by purchasing an original Breast Cancer No Excuses T-Shirt