Tea Time with Valerie
Tea Time With Valerie
How I spoil my dogs and keep them healthy
Any readers of my blog know that I adore my dogs. Daisy is now an older, refined lab lady and Cruiser is my tiny, bouncy Yorkie dude. They provide so much love and entertainment in our household. The kids jokingly argue about who gets which dog when they move out of the house.
Because of the love we have for our dogs, we are always looking for ways to keep them healthy. Knowing that good dental health can affect their long term health, we have always looked for "yum yums" that are not only fun, but healthy, too.
When we adopted Cruiser from our local shelter, they sent home a starter bag that included a Nylabone Healthy Edible dental chew. He loved it! We found Nylabones at a local dog store, and have kept them around since then.
Yorkies have a reputation for having dental problems. We've noticed that Cruiser has no visible tartar on his teeth. We believe this is specifically due to the dental chews that he gets. Cruiser loves his Nubz Dental Treats! We love that they are made of highly digestible natural ingredients. Our vet recommends Nubz treats to help clean both of our dogs’ teeth, promote fresh breath and healthy gums, and reduce tartar. Made in the USA, Nubz are made with real chicken, with no added sugar, salt, or preservatives.
I found the Nylabones online. Visit them to find the specific treats that fit your dog's size and needs. Better yet, go to Costco and get a $3.50 off coupon in your member's coupon book, to try them for your dogs.
Summer is coming to an end
"All good things must come to an end..." Including summer vacation.
This has been a good, albeit SHORT, summer vacation. Because of nasty winter weather, our school year extended into June. Because of that, I felt we just didn't have a lot of time to veg out. But, we made the most of our short time together!
Emily had a nannying job with the most adorable little girl. It was good for her to have the responsibility of earning money, as well as the experience of holding down a job. I think she's ready for a "work" job next year. She had a good summer; camp, bowling, Worlds and Oceans, softball (LOTS of softball) and...she won a beauty pageant! She's heading to Seattle in November to compete on the national level. In the meantime, she's making appearances across Missouri, talking about prevention of health crises worldwide. This crown a pretty good fit for her considering she wants to be a medical missionary. I will have pictures and even information up here soon; in the meantime, if you would like to donate to her cause, just let me know and I'll get the information to you. All donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Right now, she's at the high school (HIGH SCHOOL ACK) trying out for the school's softball team.
Matt also had a good summer. He had a great baseball season with the same team he's play on for several seasons. He went to Bartle for 10 days, and really grew up during that time. He just finished a week at theater camp. He's looking forward to starting 7th grade in the fall. We have his schedule and it's pretty good. He has a big goal to accomplish; if he succeeds, he can take speech and drama. He has hopes that this year will be FAR more successful than last.
Mikey is as cute as ever. He got a great pair of glasses, and immediately, his baseball game improved. He took pitching lessons from Brett Reid, a professional pitcher, and Mikey has quite the fastball for a first time pitcher! He took piano for most of the summer (until finances got tight) and is looking forward to picking it up again in the future. The kid can PLAY....he's really talented. He's been hanging with friends, enjoying the outside.
And as for me...well, I'm interviewing for a classroom para job today. I really want this position. We'll see what happens! It's tough to get a job in schools right now; I'm very fortunate to be on the sub list. We'll see what happens.
So many cool people out there in Blog Land
In my blog wanderings lately, I have come across a really cool blog. Ravenwear's blog has opened my mind to some things I never even knew existed! She is a graphic artist, and the virtual clothing she designs is dark and exotic. It's fun for me to step out of my comfort zone and play make-believe in her designs. It makes me feel like a little girl sneaking into her Mom's closet to try on shoes. What I really love, though, is how bright and energetic her blog design is. It's a great contrast to some of her graphic art designs.
She has also shown me a virtual application called Second Life. I had heard about these virtual villages before, but until Raven came along, I had never actually seen one. She has islands, and sells and rents real estate, while showing off her graphic art skills. She's even letting other Second Lifers to wholesale her designs. It's really quite amazing!
Here's the cool thing, though. Interspersed among her second life posts and her graphic designs, are real life experiences about things everyone uses. TV shows, products, and so on. It's refreshing and real, and a lot of fun.
Raven is just cool. That's all there is to is. She has taught me quite a bit about second life, games, technology, fashion, ravenwear, graphic design, online gaming, social network,. I look forward to following her.
I've really enjoyed stepping outside of my comfort zone. Thanks, Raven, for allowing me to peruse your site and have an inside look at what makes you tick.
OOOPS! How often have I forgotten
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of FriendGiftr. All opinions are 100% mine.
I am a BUSY person. Mom of 3, wife of a busy man, substitute teacher, college student, wannabe writer. I'm typically juggling multiple balls at once, and for somebody who's never been to clown school, that's a near-impossible task.So obviously, I tend to forget things. Like birthdays. All the time. And when I realize I've forgotten...again...I feel like a heel. Such as when I forget my dad's birthday, again, and have ZERO time to run out and grab something before meeting him for lunch.
I've just come across FriendGiftr, a great resource where you can choose a gift card, personalize it how you need, and send it to your recipient., all from the convenience of your computer. You have a number of top of the line merchants to choose from; anyone from Applebees to B&N, Cabellas to Red Robin. How great is that? Not only that, but they have integrated social networking and mobile networking with gift card ease!
The greatest thing about this service, is that you can use it in a number of unique ways. Have a Facebook friend who needs a pick me up? No problem! Hook them up with a Starbucks card! Remembered your niece's birthday in the middle of business meeting? Just grab your iPhone and send them a Journey's gift certificate right then and there! Did you miss and get the wrong card? No problem! Your recipient can swap it out for a gift card he or she will really use!
Oh, and if you want to get ME a gift card, I'd suggest something like 
. Just sayin'!
. Just sayin'!
Master of Arts in teaching...a resource I wish I had known about earlier!
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.
As you know, I'm pursuing my certification in English Language Arts through ABCTE. Sometimes I wish I had more fully researched my options. Had I done that, I would have most certainly considered the Masters of Arts in Teaching through USC (University of Southern California). Not only is this a recognized program, but they have an accelerated program that would have worked perfectly with my desire to become a teacher even more quickly. Because of this, I would like for you to know more about the USC Masters of Arts in teaching program through the Rossier School of Education.This program offers online education with opportunities for field teaching. This is important to me, because I live in the midwest and am unable to commit a long period away from from my family. This shows me that this is definitely a family and life friendly program. Not only that, but the opportunity to actually participate in classroom education while earning my degree is very appealing.
There is a fantastic tuition reimbursement program, which is a definite plus in our tough economic times. You can earn your master's in as little as 12 months, which is very cost effective, and gets you in the marketplace for a full time teaching position even more quickly.
This program is very prestigious. Not only does USC have a 100+ year solid reputation, it is ranked #22 in all institutions in the US, and #9 among all private US universities according to the US News and World Report. You can be proud of the degree you earn from USC! With this program, but you have the prestige of being a USC Trojan, with all of the benefits that includes! My friend is a Trojan, and she wears her crimson and gold proudly.
If you're looking to further your education career, or if, like me, you're facing a mid life crisis and know that teaching is where you belong, please consider this program. For more program information, please click this link.
Good luck and God bless!
Holiday weekend
Such an unusual holiday weekend, but very worthwhile.
Friday was supposed to be the Mega Ultimate Sleepover for Mikey's birthday. Mikey insisted on being a "big boy" and inviting all of his friends via text message. That didn't work. The parents didn't get the message! So instead, his buddy spent the night and ended up having a blast. We took them bowling Saturday morning, and that was fun, too.
Sunday was the holiday, of course. The Reitz girls are in town, and we were blessed enough to get to spend some real quality time with them. I have lots of fun pictures about turning those sweet girls into raging pyromaniacs in our backyard! Delicious BBQ followed by rainy fireworks at the college, and all was well. Damp, wet, rainy, but well. On the way back from the college, Matt ended up hitching a ride with security (ie his best friend's dad) and his best friend ended up sleeping over last night. He's such a good kid, we hardly realized there was another child here!
Darren has had a nasty cold / flu thing going on. He sneezes, and his nose bleeds. Which totally freaks me out because unusual face / head stuff automatically makes me think the tumor is back. He's had several bloody noses today, and I've spent a lot of my day praying down my fears. He promises to go to the doctor tomorrow.
It's early for a summer night, and all kids and the hubby have been in bed for hours. I'm sitting on the computer enjoying the relative quiet (save for the Royals game in the background, and Toby complaining in LOUD kitty cat terms that he SHOULD be allowed outside). I'm fighting the yawns. I have had so few moments to myself this summer, that I really want to hang on to this one before succumbing to sleep.
How cool is this?
This McDonalds commercial was filmed at my alma mater, William Jewell College. I live down the street from the college, so a lot of the landmarks in the commercial are actually pretty much on my street. Enjoy!
Little bit of this, little bit of that
I love summer. Lazy days, warm nights, swimming pools, air conditioning, grilling, playing, fun. I feel summer is just a time to re energize in our family. Even Darren tends to take time off during the summer!
We've chosen not to overdo it this summer. No big trips planned, aside from San Antonio for a few days. Most mornings, we can just choose what we want to do. No pressure. It's a great relief.
Emily has a job as a nanny, with a great little girl who just likes to hang around Emily. They've walked to the splash park and the Square, gone bowling with us, walked to the park. Emily's even teaching her a little French! Since the little girl is just 2, she is free when we go to Worlds or Oceans of Fun. It's the perfect job for Em because she can still have a great summer, and still make a little money. Her family will not need her for the week in July when she is a teen counselor at Girl Scout Twilight Camp. She has softball in the evenings. The mother is the assistant coach, so that works great. She's had high school softball camp the last 2 weeks, and has learned a lot from that.
Matthew has 2 camps planned this summer. Right now, he's at a 10 day Boy Scout camp at Bartle. We'll be heading down to see him Sunday. He loves this independence, and earning more awards on his way to Eagle Scout. It's hard for me to believe that Mikey will be down there next year! He's also taking a musical theater camp at the Community Center next month. He's really excited about that. He's found theater in middle school, and has taken it and run. His baseball season is finished, but he really has done well this year. Coach LeRoy said they missed his powerful bat at the game the other night!
Mikey has his final WEBELOS camp at Camp Naish later this summer. He's working on his Arrows. He'll be 10 next week, and has already been involved in the Ultimate Sleepovers 1 and 2. We're in charge of the next one, and it appears it will be for his birthday. He and I have worked hard to get his room in good shape. He has an oddly shaped closet, and it's hard to keep things in there. We're looking for solutions, but none have really worked. We'll keep trying, though!
As for me, I'm just hanging in there. I haven't gotten calls for summer school, and don't really expect to at this point. I''m trying a few other money-supplementing things to help make ends meet. And of course, I'm studying. I'm working to get that final test passed for my ABCTE certification in Communication Arts. I'm also working on setting up a blog and an information portal about eosinophilic disorders. Watching NETFLIX on Wii. Just enjoying life to the fullest.
"Scars and Stilettos." A story of faith and resiliency
Scars and Stilettos by Harmony Dust
January 2010 by Lion Hudson PLC
Thank you to Litfuse Group Publishing for providing a review copy of Scars and Stilettos...to see all the blogs on this tour click here
To learn more about Harmony and her mission to bring God to those involved in the sex industry, please visit and support her ministry, Treasures.
Harmony's Story: Harmony Dust grew up in an unstable home. Her mother took in strangers, many who abused Harmony either emotionally, sexually or physically. She learned that to save herself, she had to please others. By doing that, she felt stability. In reality, she was developing scars to cover the shame she felt.
At age 15, she was forced to leave her mother's home. Her father refused to help her, so she spent several nights on the streets before getting on her feet, supporting herself and her live in "boyfriend," who, in reality, is using her while sleeping with other women. She attends college full time, takes care of his paralyzed mother, and works to support herself and her friend. After his mother is moved to a nursing home, they move to an apartment, where their debt increases. He refuses to work, so it's up to Harmony to pay the bills. A college acquaintance suggests that Harmony strips, and before long, she's fully immersed in the seedy, underground exotic dancing world. Emotionally fragile because of her childhood pains, Harmony feels she has no choice, although realizing from the beginning that there must be some hope somewhere. She spends the next 3 years of her life encased in this world before finally finding God in the smoke filled club. She emerges strong, resilient, and capable of holding her head high. She rebuilds her life, turning her live to Christ, receiving her MA in Social Welfare, marrying a wonderful man, and giving birth to an adorable little girl. In the midst of her healing comes the desire to help other women in the sex trade, showing them that God loves them and they are TREASURES in His eyes.
My Review: I love this book. The graphic details are hard to handle, but Harmony's life was tough. I couldn't put down the book. It is a tough read, an emotional read. I had tears in my eyes as I read about the life she led, the decisions she felt forced to take, and how worthless she felt. It was amazing to see how she has persevered and the impact she is making on other lives. You'll want to give a copy of this book to every woman who has faced abuse and neglect, or who needs to know that she is a treasure in God's eyes.
CONTEST
!
Kregel Publishers is graciously donating a $50 Amazon.com gift card for the Litfuse Blog Tour Contest! Woo-hoo (thanks Kregel!) All you have to do to enter is either tweet (see TWEET THIS below) or share the book on Facebook using this link:http://www.litfusegroup.com/
TWEET THIS: (and be sure to use the hashtag #HarmonyDust to be entered into Amazon.com gift certificate drawing)
Scars and Stilettos-story of ex-stripper #HarmonyDust & her work now to reach out to those still in the sex industry.http://ow.ly/1WrGD
Summer Fun 2010
Resources from the Video:
1. Free Summer Bowling
We plan on doing this a LOT. Two free games per summer day, per each child. We got the adult pass, too. For only $24.95, Darren and I can also bowl with the kids every day. The only additional cost is bowling shoes!
If you sign up for this, consider using me as your referral. I'd love the chances to win the Disney vacation!
2. Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun
This is our third year for season passes, and they pay for themselves over and over. We have the refill cups, so for $1.00, we have drinks to keep us hydrated. If we plan to stay for a long day, we bring a cooler full of lunch goodies, and we picnic in the parking lot.
About me
Welcome to my blog. I am Valerie; a wife, mother, and child of God. This blog is dedicated to dear Nattie, who inspired me, among many others, in her all too short life. Thanks for dropping by!
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