Monthly Archives: September 2012
10 iPhone Applications That Parents Need For Date Nights
Re-Blogged From: Babysitters.net
For busy parents, trying to squeeze in a date night can end up being a chore, never mind trying to plan one. Fortunately these timesaving iPhone applications have done your homework for you, so you can put the fun back in date night with none of the usual stress. With recommendations on everything from wine to wonton soup, you can book your sitter, capture a fun photo, and even hail a cab, all with the touch of a button.
Sitter Sorter – Before you can plan your date night, you have to secure your sitter. Sitter Sorter lets you store all of your babysitter’s contact information and request a sitter from the palm of your hand. Your sitters can respond to your request for childcare and you can book your preferred available sitter by clicking a button to send a scheduling confirmation to her.
Fandango – For parents who are hoping to catch a movie, Fandango can help them do just that. You can view local times and movies on the app, and parents can even organize their movie theaters by their favorites.
Hello Vino – Heading out for Chinese and want to know the perfect wine pairing for wonton soup? For those who like to keep track of their favorites, they’ll love the note taking abilities Hello Vino provides.
Groupon – Wondering where to go or what to do? Let the local deal of the day inspire you. For parents who are willing to try new restaurants or go on adventures for a fraction of the cost, Groupon can be a great place to score deals.
Food Spotting– The ultimate pocket guide to good food and where to find it, Food Spotting goes beyond rating restaurants and helps you discover good food near you.
Cabulous – For city dwelling couples, Cabulous is a handy application. You’ll never have to worry about waiting in the rain to hail a taxi again. With the push of a button you can hail and track your cab as it heads your way.
Yelp – Dying to check out the new pizza joint but want to hear what others think first? Yelp it! With the Yelp app you can search for businesses and read reviews before finalizing your date night destination.
LocalEats – If you’re looking for a quick restaurant guide, LocalEats is just that. A culmination of the top handpicked restaurants, LocalEats will lead you to the best locally owned restaurants around.
Hotel Tonight – If you’re looking for a last minute deal on a hotel, Hotel Tonight will help you find it. The app boasts low pricing and fast booking, and features three great deals in a growing list of cities.
Pocketbooth – Turn your iPhone into a vintage photo booth with Pocketbooth. You can email, tweet and even mail photo strips with the click of a button. What’s a better a goodnight gift to your kids than sending them a photo of mom and dad having fun?
© Copyright 2009-2011 Babysitters.net. All Rights Reserved. SBS
Kid “Date Night”
Re-blogged from: The Dating Divas
by Robin
If your house is anything like my house, “We’re going on a date” is instantly followed by many, “WHYYYY???”‘s and “Can we come?”‘s and “I don’t want you to LEEEEAVE!!!”‘s. To help, we’ve put together a little somethin’-somethin’ for your kids while you and the hubs get that much needed togetherness time! I present to you, the “Kid Date Night” envelope!
Now, this will ONLY work if you DO NOT let them EVER play with the contents of this envelope unless you are on a date! There are 2 games here that are tried and true, kid tested and approved, that are sure to be a HUGE hit with your kids! Kids LOVE to play these two games. They love them so much in fact that they will be BEGGING you to go on your next date! Again, this only works if you save these games for DATE NIGHT ONLY. 
First, you need this: Envelope Printable
Attach it to a manilla envelope. Make sure this envelope appears somewhere in your children’s view on “date night” day so that they can look forward to it! I like to set mine out on the counter right at breakfast time so that they are excited all that day.
Now, what are the goods inside this wonderful envelope you ask?? Well, I have two, FREE activities for you. Just do either one or the other, and save the next one for the next date night!
{I like to put ALL of the needed supplies for whichever game I choose inside the envelope so it is all right there for the sitter when we leave.}
Game #1: Don’t Eat Pete!
Materials Needed:
*1 big bag of M&M’s
*Our game board
{Find that game board here: Don’t Eat Pete!}
*The rules are simple and they are printed right there on the game board. Bada-bing bada-boom baby!
Game #2: The Kit Kat Game
Materials Needed:
*1 king-size Kit Kat bar (unless they want to play more than once, and they WILL! Then get a couple..)
*1 die
*2 butter knives
*A glove or oven mitt for the babysitter
*And this printable: The Rules
Same thing, the rules are printed right there. They are explained simply so your babysitter will know just what to do.
And the last thing to do, but DEFINITELY not the least, HAVE FUN ON YOUR DATE!
© 2012 The Dating Divas
Walk in Integrity
by Joyce Meyer – posted September 04, 2012
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness (my conscious integrity and sincerity with Him); according to the cleanness of my hands has He recompensed me. — Psalm 18:20
Talking about the Word isn’t enough; we need to do what we say we believe. God will bless us if we are people of integrity. As believers, we need to keep our promises and do what we say we will do.
Look for ways to demonstrate integrity today. If you can’t follow through with something you said you would do for someone, at least call or write a letter, saying, “Please forgive me; I was not being led by God, and I just cannot do what I said.” This way you will honor God and keep your steps going in the right direction.
From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2003 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
Run Your Race
Today’s Scripture:
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. – 1 Corinthians 9:24, NKJV.
Today’s Word:
So many people today spend valuable time and energy trying to make everyone around them happy. They want to be approved, accepted and affirmed. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you can’t let the opinions of others become your focus or distract you from what God has called you to.
In the natural, when a professional runner races, you don’t see them looking around at the other runners, wondering how they are doing. No, they have their mind focused on one thing: the finish line. They don’t waste valuable energy comparing themselves or wondering what’s going on around them. Instead, they focus on winning the prize. This is how we should be in life—focused on winning the prize of the victor’s crown in life.
My challenge to you today is: run your race. Don’t let people squeeze you into their mold. Remember, you don’t have to try to play up to people. You don’t have to worry about what everyone else thinks. As long as you’re being true to what God has put in your heart, don’t look to the left or to the right. Stay focused on your goals. Run your race to win and honor God in everything that you do!
Prayer for Today:
Father, today and every day I set my focus on you. I declare that I will not look to the left or to the right, but I will fix my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. Give me wisdom and grace as I dedicate every area of my life to You in Jesus’ name! Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Our Daily Bread – Well Prepared
Read: Ephesians 6:10-20
The idea of always being prepared makes me think of the man who lived next door to us when I was growing up. When Mr. Nienhuis came home, he never failed to back his car into the garage. That seemed unusual to me until my mother explained that Nels was a volunteer fireman. If he got a call, he had to be ready to race to the fire station. He backed in so he could leave quickly when he had to report for duty.
To be well prepared is important in so much of life. “If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend 6 sharpening my axe,” said Abraham Lincoln. We prepare for a career by studying. We buy insurance in case of a car accident or a house fire. We even prepare for the end of life by making a will to provide for loved ones.
The Bible tells us we must prepare ourselves spiritually as well. We do that by putting on spiritual armor to protect ourselves from spiritual attack (Eph. 6:10-20); by preparing our minds for holy living (1 Peter 1:13); by making sure we’re always prepared to answer questions about the reason for the hope we possess (3:15); and by ensuring that we are ready for the promised return of Jesus (Matt. 24:44).
How well prepared are you for what lies ahead? Unsure? Ask the Lord for His help and guidance.
To meet the coming day,
I want to be prepared to take
Whatever comes my way. —Simmons
DIY Monday: Homemade Lunchables
Re-blogged From: The CSI Project
Homemade Lunchables
By: Nike
I’m thrilled to be here sharing back to school ideas this morning to help me and my six kiddos this year!
So here’s the deal:
I have a love/hate relationship with my kids’ lunches.
I hate shopping trips with my kids begging for all the pricey, pre-packaged lunch stuff that’s loaded with preservatives and wasteful packaging.
Sheesh that junk is expensive.
But the convenience? Oh how I love the convenience.
And there are times of the year when our schedule is so crazy that I cave and load up the cart with lunchables, little bags of crackers and jello packs just so that we can pull a lunch or snack together in two seconds flat.
But no more!
I’m here today to share my plan to eat healthier, save money and still enjoy the convenience that me and my kids crave. And I hope you’ll tweak the ideas below to fit your family’s budget and nutritional preferences.
#1 – The Lunchable
Why?
Reusing the store bought tray and packing your own lunch meat, real cheese, crackers and a little treat will save you 40% — $0.60 for homemade vs. $1.00 for the store bought one. Plus the homemade version boasts real cheese, extra calcium and fewer preservatives.
A quick layer of Glad press ‘n’ seal or aluminum foil keep everything in place just like the original.
Don’t have a left-over lunchable tray? Or want a bigger tray to up the serving size for older kids?
No problem. You make your own dividers like I did for this dollar store container using an empty milk jug.
And that extra space means you can supplement that lunchable with some fruits and veggies without spending more than the store bought version.
Which $1 lunch would you rather send with your kids?
For a drink my kids prefer the juice pouch …
… while I’m more in favor of the reusable water bottle which make lunch $1.20 the first day and $0.98 every day after.
So we’ll do both: water most of the week and juice boxes on Friday for a little bit of a treat.
Either way these lunches come in significantly less than our $1.60 school lunch and WAY CHEAPER than the big-drink-included-lunchables at the store:
Really? $3.00 for a $1.00 lunchable and $2.00 juice pouch? Um, no thanks.
#2 – The Pudding & Jello Packs
Why?
Reusing those little cups (or the small tupperware containers with lids) and making your own will keep the cost and preservatives way down.
Same thing for the gelatin cups:
Making just this switch alone will save you a truck load. Six cents a cup vs. $0.56 for Jell-o brand? You could easily cover back-to-school paper supplies, back packs and shoes with just that little switch.
#3 – The Fruit Cups
The reduction in packaging, costs and preservatives make these easy switches.
#4 – The Mini Cracker Bags
You can enjoy the name brand crackers and still save almost 40% when you prepackage them yourself using $0.01 snack size sandwich bags. Just check out the cost per serving:
If you don’t mind generic, you can reduce those costs another 50+ percent.
And it’s just as convenient to grab a home-packed bag as the store packaged variety. The only difference is the price.
A few more THRIVE tips:
1. The ideas above are only guidelines. Each family will have their own nutrition and budget preferences. The idea is that by getting creative with recycled/reusable packaging, you can still enjoy the convenience of off-the-shelf while controlling costs and ingredients. So feel free to make your own tweaks with whole grain crackers, organic produce and nitrate-free meat. Or try packing a lunchable with mini tuna or PB&J sandwiches. Have fun!
2. Make your kids help with the prep work! They’re the ones asking for the “cool” packaging so they can help. It’s also a great way to teach basic food prep and math skills like measuring ingredients and dividing portions.
3. Have your kids help you shop! Don’t laugh — I’m serious. This is a fantastic chance to practice real life math skills as they determine price per unit, ounce or pound. There’s also lots of fun ways to to teach math, spelling and budgeting with kids during shopping trips here.
3. Have cheese for sandwiches or lunchables pre-sliced at the deli. I buy the economy loaves and have them sliced right there at the store for no extra charge. It saves so much time and keeps the portions equal.
4. Rock What Ya Got! If your kids are like mine and want the meat for their homemade lunchables to be round like the store bought variety, trying using the lid of a spice jar. (My cookie cutters aren’t the right size). Stack the meat in three layers and cut away. The lids from my 2/$1 Walmart spices worked perfectly.
And don’t toss those scraps! I save mine in a ziploc bag in the frig to use in omelets and salads.
5. Incorporate fresh produce from the garden! Now is a great time to up the nutrition with yummy, home ground fruits and veggies. I love it when I can ditch the high fructose corn syrup fruit snacks and send my kids with the homemade variety.
They have a soft, chewy texture like other dried fruits and are only $0.01 per serving vs. $0.20 for the cheapest store bought variety! You check out the recipe here.
Yum!
… and finally …
6. Pennies add up! I know some of you may look at $0.25 or $0.50 savings a day and think it’s not worth it. But trust me – it so is! My kids have been back to school for a month now (year round school) and I’ve kept track of what we would have spent to buy the prepackage stuff vs. packing our own. So far our averaging savings is around $8 a week.
If our family takes out the money saved each week and transfers it into savings (or puts it in an envelope Dave Ramsey style), that $8/week times 25 weeks of school should work out to $200 by the end of the year. And $200 divided between my four school-aged kids equals $50 a piece, or enough to buy a new pair of shoes, back pack and classroom supplies for each of them.
Eating healthier, using less packaging, teaching my kids about cooking-meal planning-math-budgetting AND financing back-to-school shopping for next year? That’s so worth it to me!
Hope you and your kids have fun shopping for your own creative ways to make smarter lunch choices! And be sure to stop by THRIVE for more ideas for living and crafting without spending a dime. Hope to see you soon!
COPYRIGHT © 2012 · GENESIS FRAMEWORK
Absolute Trust
by Joyce Meyer – posted September 03, 2012
For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness] and of the love which you [have and show] for all the saints (God’s consecrated ones)” —Colossians 1:4 (emphasis mine)
According to today’s scripture, when you and I exercise our faith, we place our trust and confidence in three specific attributes of God’s character: His power, His wisdom, and His goodness.
When we approach God in faith, we must first realize that He has the power, the supernatural ability, to meet our needs and solve our problems. He is able to work any kind of miracle we need. God has the power to do anything.
Faith also involves placing absolute trust and confidence in God’s wisdom. When we do not know what to do or how to do it, God does. In His power, He can do anything, but in His wisdom, He may choose not to do everything He is able to do. He always works in our lives with our best interests in mind. When He answers our prayers in ways we do not understand, we need to trust His wisdom.
God is a good God, and we need to have faith in His goodness. He always wants the best for us! He has good plans for our lives and will always do us good, not evil (see Eph. 2:10 and Jer. 29:11).
When you put your faith in God, you have complete confidence in the God who has the power to accomplish anything on your behalf, the wisdom to know exactly what you need, and the goodness to work in your life in ways that bring the greatest possible blessing.
Love God Today: Lord, I place my absolute trust in your power, your wisdom, and your goodness.
From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2011 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
Greatness in the Midst of Criticism
Today’s Scripture:
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. – Matthew 5:44, NKJV.
Today’s Word:
If you’re going to do anything great in life, if you’re going to be a great businessperson, a great teacher, a great parent or a great leader, not everyone is going to cheer you on. I’d love to tell you that your family, friends and co-workers will celebrate you, but that’s not the case. Some people simply can’t handle your success. As you grow and increase, as God pours out His favor, somebody will get jealous. Somebody will start finding fault. Don’t be surprised if a relative tries to belittle or discredit you. If you focus on making everyone around you happy, you’ll start changing and lose sight of what God has placed in your heart.
Friend, your destiny is too great to be distracted by people who are never going to affirm you. Don’t take it personally. It’s not about you. It’s their problem. Shake it off, run your race, be great anyway.
Greatness in the midst of criticism begins with forgiveness. Don’t hold a grudge. Bless those who curse you; pray for those who spitefully use you. As you keep doing what is right, God will honor you. He’ll promote you, and you’ll see the dreams and desires that He placed in your heart come to pass!
Prayer for Today:
Father, I come to You today with an open and humble heart. I choose to forgive those who have criticized me. I choose to bless those who have hurt me. I choose to be great because You have equipped and empowered me to rise higher in this life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Unexpected Ways
Posted by Joel Osteen on 8/31/2012
I read a story about this young man who was training for the 1924 Olympics in Paris, France. He was an American who was extremely skilled in canoeing. He could ride the rapids like no one else. He had won many competitions before and was the heavy favorite for the Gold Medal. That was his dream – to win an Olympic Gold.
It just so happened that his wife became pregnant and her due date was during the Olympics. In those days, of course, they didn’t have travel like we do today. To go back and forth across the ocean would take several months time. So, he made the decision that he was not going to miss the birth of his first son. Much to the surprise of his coaches and trainers, he informed them that he would not be competing in the Olympic Games.
The news sent shockwaves throughout the sports world. Here he had trained tirelessly for many years. He was the best in his field. As far as his career was concerned, this was the most important thing to him. But he was willing to surrender that dream. Even though it seemed like a great disappointment, he said, “God, I don’t have to have that medal in order to be happy.”
The day came when his beautiful son was born. Through the years, he poured into that young man. The son was extremely gifted in whitewater rafting just like his father. They spent year after year practicing together, training, getting better and better. In 1948, the son qualified for the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. He went over and competed, and a few days later, here in America, the dad received a telegram. It said, “Dear, Dad. Thanks for waiting around for me to be born. I’m coming home 24 years later with your Gold Medal.”
The son came home and gave the medal to his father. Now the father had the Gold Medal he had always dreamed about. But it meant even more to him because it came from his son whom he loved so much.
Friend, God always has unexpected ways of working things out. When you let something go, when you put it in the hands of Almighty God, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not going to happen. You’re simply saying, “God, I’m going to let You do it Your way. I know You know what’s best for me if I put my trust in You.”
Remember, you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. Just trust God. Turn things over to Him. Release the struggle. Release the frustration. Release the questions. Know that He is faithful, and He promises to fulfill every dream and desire that He has placed in your heart!
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9, NIV)
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Our Daily Bread – Why We Work
Read: Ephesians 6:5-9
In the late 1660s, Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to re-design St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. According to legend, one day he visited the construction site of this great edifice and was unrecognized by the workers. Wren walked about the site, asking several of the men what they were doing. One worker replied, “I am cutting a piece of stone.” A second worker responded, “I’m earning five shillings two pence a day.” A third, however, had a different perspective: “I am helping Christopher Wren build a magnificent cathedral to the glory of God.” What a contrast in the attitude and motivation of that worker!
Why we do what we do is extremely important, particularly when it comes to our working lives and careers. That’s why Paul challenged the Ephesians to do their work, “not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Eph. 6:6-7).
If we do our work merely to earn a paycheck or satisfy a supervisor, we will fall short of the highest motivation—doing our best as evidence of our devotion to God. So, why do we work? As that laborer told Wren, we work “to the glory of God.”
Some other work to do,
But gratefully perform the task
The Lord has given you. —Anon.
I Am Lady Fab 